Argentinian Sky Blues fan returns for FA Cup game

Lauti Murguia caught the attention of Coventry City players and fans last year, leading him to meet midfielder Kasey Palmer

A Coventry City fan from Argentina is flying over for the FA Cup semi-final this weekend, after his love for the club made him a local celebrity.

Lauti Murguia caught the attention of Sky Blues players and fans during a trip to the UK last year, after a photo of him buying a club shirt was shared online.

He went on to meet midfielder Kasey Palmer, while the singer Tom Grennan offered to fly him to a match.

Mr Murguia, 23, is now due to cross the Atlantic again to go to Coventry City’s game against Manchester United at Wembley on Sunday.

“I’m not doing this to [go] viral. I’m doing this because I love Coventry,” he said.

'The love story'

Mr Murguia started supporting the Sky Blues seven years ago after coming across them on FIFA, the football video game.

He said that when he looked up the team online, he was struck by the committed fanbase that he saw in match photographs.

“The love story started there,” he told BBC Radio Coventry & Warwickshire.

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Mr Murguia travelled to the UK to watch the team for the first time last year in a home game against Luton Town, and during that trip a football shop tweeted a photo of him buying a Sky Blues shirt.

Palmer then reached out to him and met him after the game to give him a shirt signed by the team.

The superfan travelled to the UK again last summer to watch Coventry City in the Championship play-off final, and he said that dozens of people asked him for selfies and stopped him for a chat.

'Moving there will be amazing'

Mr Murguia said he had been saving up since last year to attend another game, adding that the semi-final felt special because of the impressive teams that had made it to this stage.

“It’s crazy to see the FA Cup draw. Coventry, Man Utd, Man City and Chelsea - we are in a big four,” he said.

He added that he hoped to move to Coventry next year, if he could find an employer that would sponsor his visa, so he could attend games regularly.

“I think moving there will be amazing - being in the city where the club that I love is," he said.