In a digital-age faux pas that has football fans cringing across social media, Burnley's new signing Youssoufa Moukoko has been embarrassingly exposed for sending identical, copy-and-paste farewell messages to his former Borussia Dortmund teammates.
The 19-year-old German striker, who completed a dramatic deadline-day loan move to Vincent Kompany's Premier League side, took to Instagram to bid an emotional goodbye to the club where he rose through the youth ranks.
However, the heartfelt sentiment quickly evaporated when eagle-eyed fans noticed a glaring lack of personal touch. Moukoko had sent the exact same generic message to multiple high-profile teammates, including club captain Emre Can and German international Nico Schlotterbeck.
The Cookie-Cutter Goodbye
The message in question read: "Hey brother, I wish you all the best, health and success. It was a pleasure to play with you. We'll see each other again soon on the pitch!"
The lack of personalisation was immediately picked up on, with one recipient, defender Soumaila Coulibaly, even replying with a crying-laughing emoji, highlighting the obviousness of the blunder.
Social Media Reacts
As screenshots of the identical messages circulated online, the football community was quick to react. Fans and pundits alike flooded social media platforms with memes and jokes, labelling the incident as a classic case of a poorly executed "mass send".
One fan quipped, "Couldn't even change a comma!", while another added, "The modern footballer's farewell: heartfelt, efficient, and completely impersonal." The incident has sparked a wider debate about the nature of relationships and professionalism in the modern game.
A Fresh Start at Burnley
Despite the awkward send-off, Moukoko's focus is now firmly on his new challenge in the English top flight. The highly-rated young forward will be looking to make a significant impact for a Burnley side desperate for goals as they fight for Premier League survival.
While his Dortmund departure might be remembered for this minor social misstep, Clarets fans will only care if he can replicate the goal-scoring form he showed in Germany.
