Former Kilmarnock winger Danny Armstrong has been subjected to a racist outburst from a rival club owner after starring in a fiery Romanian derby. The 28-year-old, who now plays for Dinamo Bucharest, was branded a "begging monkey" by Steaua Bucharest's controversial owner Gigi Becali.
Becali's comments came after Armstrong created two assists in Dinamo's match against Steaua, a heated encounter that saw a player from each side sent off. The 68-year-old, a former politician who was convicted of corruption 13 years ago, accused Armstrong of trying to get his player dismissed. "The Dinamo player Armstrong turned into a begging monkey," Becali said. He also called referee Istvan Kovacs a scoundrel and bizarrely claimed he would take Armstrong to a neurologist.
Becali's history of controversy
Gigi Becali has a long record of making offensive remarks, with previous allegations of racist, sexist and homophobic statements. In his latest rant, he insisted Armstrong held a personal grudge. "He's been destroying us for years and years. He has either a grudge against my club or me personally." Becali said. The outburst has drawn widespread condemnation, overshadowing Armstrong's on-field contribution which earned him Player of the Month honours in Romania.
Armstrong's form and Kilmarnock context
For his part, Armstrong is enjoying a strong spell in his career. He recently said he is playing some of his best football and feels more content with his game than ever before. His former club Kilmarnock, meanwhile, are struggling near the foot of the Scottish Premiership. They sit 12th with just one point from their opening five games, having scored four goals and conceded 14. Their recent form reads one win, one draw and three defeats from the last five outings, a sequence you can review on our standings page.
The Rugby Park side's last result was a 0-0 draw away to Aberdeen on September 5th. They face a key home match against 11th-placed Falkirk on December 30th as they look to climb the table. Fans can check the full schedule on the club's fixtures list. Armstrong's success abroad provides a contrasting narrative to the challenges facing his old team, who will be hoping for a positive result in their next fixture at home.
