FIFA has been accused of nepotism after celebrity chef Salt Bae was allowed onto the pitch to attend the World Cup celebrations in Argentina.
The right to touch the trophy is reserved for only a select group of people, including players who won it and heads of state, but those FIFA regulations didn’t apply to Salt Bae on Sunday.
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Salt Bae caused quite a stir with his role in the celebrations in Argentina
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Messi didn’t seem happy to see him
After Lionel Messi and company defeated France on penalties in what was arguably the most dramatic final of all time, the famous chef took full advantage of exclusive access to the players and the trophy.
Fans were confused by images of Salt Bae, real name Nusret Gokce, who appeared to be harassing the victorious players as they attempted to enjoy their incredible victory.
The chef, who became famous for his sprinkling technique and charges £1,450 for a steak, posted a series of pictures to his Instagram, including a photo next to Argentinian hero Messi.
However, footage has since surfaced of Salt Bae being ignored twice by Messi before the captain reluctantly agreed to pose for a picture.
The Turk also shared a clip of him snatching the trophy from Cristian Romero, who was trying to spend a moment with his son, before attempting to snatch it from Lisandro Martinez.
Many were quick to highlight Salt Bae’s close relationship with FIFA President Gianni Infantino – and world football’s governing body has declined to comment on the matter.
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For ex-Crystal Palace chairman Simon Jordan, that’s because FIFA has no leg to stand on.
“Maybe he thought he had a stake in the event,” Jordan joked, referring to the chef’s gimmick.
“Of course it’s nepotism. It is absolute. You look at it and say, ‘Why would it happen?’ Then you’ll see where Infantino eats when he’s over there.
“It’s ridiculous. It’s a ridiculous look. We have Messi wearing a traditional Arabic cape, which was strange but I understand why they did it.
“Now we have these high-profile chefs that we fight with because they go out on the court.
“It defies convention, it breaks protocol. It looks like nepotism, it smells like nepotism, it walks and talks like nepotism, so guess what it is? It’s bleeding nepotism.
“It’s unprofessional. There is no place for him. He shouldn’t have been on the pitch.”
Infantino made a concerted effort to be the center of attention during the World Cup, from that hour-long monologue to his unnecessarily lengthy involvement in the trophy-lifting.
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Messi barely escaped Infantino’s clutches before joining his teammates
And now Jordan is suggesting the FIFA President’s demeanor has come back to bite him.
He added: “What is FIFA doing? When they stroll into town, they really let you know they’re there. It’s like the Vatican is falling in places.
“I’m surprised they want this kind of test. Due to Infantino’s gum-flapping nature, he has drawn extra attention to everything FIFA does. So you want the look to be right.
“They want standards to be met. You don’t need a pompous chef running across the pitch and putting his arm around a player who has just become world champion. Not necessary and not the look we want.”
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