Vedat Muriqi had two reasons to celebrate his double for Real Mallorca on Sunday.
The Kosovo striker bagged his 20th and 21st of the season to draw in on Kylian Mbappe’s 23 at the top of the Spanish scoring charts.
The brace secured a 3-0 win over Rayo Vallecano, and Muriqi was delighted as it moved Mallorca out of the relegation zone.
Muriqi’s double breaks Eto’o’s Mallorca record
On top of that, it also made him the island side’s record scorer in the top flight, equalling and surpassing Samuel Eto’o’s 54 as a club legend.
Muriqi had already beaten Eto’o’s record of the most La Liga goals in a single season with 18, and it’s fair to say he’s now undoubtedly a Mallorca legend.
Fans’ Ballon d’Or chants met with humble response
So much so that the fans let him know with chants of ‘Ballon d’Or’ post-match.
The 31-year-old circled a finger round his temple to tell them they were crazy, but they wouldn’t stop for a post-match interview pitchside.
“These people are crazy,” he told the reporter who asked about the songs.
Modesty is nothing new for Muriqi who was similarly humble when compared to Barcelona’s Robert Lewandowski earlier this season.
Muriqi’s modesty compared to Robert Lewandowski
“There are few strikers who can compete with Lewy…And I’m not one of them but thanks,” he wrote in response to a Barca social media post.
Muriqi has also shown he was human after Kosovo failed in their closest attempt to make a World Cup.
Returning from disappointment to score a winning goal against Real Madrid, the talisman broke down in tears and explained why post-match.
His emotional reaction after Kosovo’s World Cup heartbreak
“Although from the outside I seem very ugly and tough, I’m also human and sometimes emotions and nerves get the better of me,” he said at the start of April.
“I’ve just missed a penalty in the 92nd minute, then lost a final to go to the World Cup and fulfil the biggest dream of my life.
“Here, it was 1-0 and then a tie in the 88th minute and suddenly, a goal, a great goal, winning 2-1, with my goal…”
He added: “When you do the calculations before the game, even playing at home, you give us zero chance against Real Madrid, you have to be honest.
“Getting three points means we played a good match, we’ve done good work this week. Now we have more games against Rayo Vallecano and Valencia, and hopefully we can get six points.”
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