For the second time .. unknown assailants bust the statue of Messi

The statue of Argentine footballer Lionel Messi, near the banks of the La Plata River in the Argentine capital of Buenos Aires, was shattered by unknown assailants on Sunday.

The statue of the Argentine star was found lying on the ground after a group of individuals, police forces could not identify themselves yet, cut off his legs after the ankle of the foot, according to the site, "Tasi Sports" sports website.

This is the second time that the statue of Messi in Buenos Aires, since its unveiling in June 2016, has been subjected to acts of sabotage.

It was the last time last January, when the saboteurs left the statue of the Argentinean tango with no head and arms.

Messi's statue is next to other world-famous sporting figures, including Argentinean player Emmanuel Khinobili, Formula One driver Manuel Fanguio, tennis champion Guillermo Vilas and Gabriela Sabatini.