ZURICH (AP) — FIFA is taking “appropriate internal measures” to address breaches of World Cup protocol by a celebrity chef who held up the gold trophy on the pitch, soccer’s governing body said Thursday.
The chef, known as Salt Bae and who is regularly seen with FIFA president Gianni Infantino, mingled with Argentina’s players and posed for photos after their victory over France in an epic game on Sunday. in Qatar.
FIFA outlines the trophy as “an invaluable icon” that “can only be touched and held by a very select group of people, including former FIFA World Cup winners and heads of state.”
“Following a review, FIFA has been establishing how people improperly gained access to the pitch after the closing ceremony at the Lusail stadium on December 18,” the world soccer body said. “The corresponding internal measures will be taken.”
The chef, who owns a restaurant in Doha, was a regular FIFA guest with VIP access during the World Cup and posted photos and video clips on social networks.
After Argentina’s victory on penalties following a thrilling 3-3 draw, he was filmed grabbing captain Lionel Messi’s arm on the pitch to get his attention. The football great looked irritated in the clip from the film, though he later posed for a photo Salt Bae posted on Instagram.
___
AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
