
Football
Share
Published 16:18 15 Apr 2015 BST
Explore more on these topics:
The Atletico Madrid striker's back tattoo was revealed to the world during his side's Champions League clash against Real Madrid on Tuesday night.
Mandzukic Hebrew tattoo saying "what don't kill me, strengthens me" going absolutely viral pic.twitter.com/da9AU2DdSg
— Joshua Halickman (@thesportsrabbi) April 14, 2015
The Hebrew script immediately sparked intrigue on social media over what it actually meant. It has since been translated and, Mandzukic might not like to hear what the text he has gotten permanently scarred onto his back actually means.
Stuart Winer of The Times of Israel translated the text.
"The text was written from left to right instead of from right to left. In addition, the letters themselves were facing the wrong way, giving the slogan the appearance of being in mirror writing, and suggesting that the tattoo artist was either an aspiring Leonardo da Vinci, who wrote mainly in mirror-image cursive, or hopelessly incompetent.
Once the bizarre lettering had been sorted out, it emerged that the tattoo aimed to proclaim "What doesn’t kill me makes me stronger," although spelling errors rendered the actual translation closer to the grammatically awkward "Which doesn’t to kill me, makes me stronger."
Hat-tip to Bleacher Report

AC Milan and Italy legend Franco Baresi dies aged 66
One of the greatest to ever do it AC Milan and Italy legend Franco Baresi has died aged 66, it has been confirmed. Widely considered as one of the greatest to ever grace football, Baresi enjoyed a storied career in the beautiful game. The Italian defender’s death was announced by his former club AC Milan […]
Football
1 day ago
We asked AI to predict the full 2026/27 Premier League season – Here’s who wins
The supercomputer has spoken! With the World Cup done and dusted, and England’s next shot at glory now at least two years away, there is only one date in every football fan’s calendar, Friday 21st August – that glorious day when the Premier League season final gets back underway. In the three weeks or so […]
Football
2 days ago
Kevin Keegan has died aged 75
Football