Napoli wish Kvaratskhelia speedy recovery, X auto-translation sparks 'break a leg' backlash

Napoli’s message for ex-star misread after ACL injury

Napoli sent a social media message to former star Khvicha Kvaratskhelia after the Georgian international suffered a cruciate ligament injury during a Champions League match against Barcelona on Tuesday.

The club posted on its Italian X account:

In bocca al lupo Khvicha, ti aspettiamo presto in campo! 💪

The post is a traditional Italian good-luck wish. “In bocca al lupo” literally means “in the wolf’s mouth” and is used to wish good luck, which in this context translates to “Good luck, Khvicha, we look forward to seeing you back on the pitch soon.”

Auto-translation fuels confusion

X’s auto-translation into English rendered the message as:

“Break a leg, Khvicha, we look forward to seeing you back on the pitch soon.”

Several users commented on the post, saying that “Break a leg” isn’t the right expression to wish a speedy recovery to a player who has just suffered an ACL injury. The translation was described as too literal.

Napoli’s post read in full: “In bocca al lupo Khvicha, ti aspettiamo presto in campo! 💪 — Official SSC Napoli (@sscnapoli) October 21, 2026”.

Injury and background

Kvaratskhelia is now due to undergo surgery following the injury.

The 25-year-old scored 30 goals in 107 appearances with Napoli before his January 2025 move to Paris Saint-Germain. He won the 2022-23 Serie A title with Napoli under Luciano Spalletti.