Turkish chef of Kurdish origin Nusret Gökçe, nicknamed Salt Bae, celebrated Argentina’s victory in the World Cup final like a football player.
He entered the pitch, took the trophy from the players’ hands and took pictures with it, which is a gross violation of FIFA rules.
According to the regulation, only the members of the winning team, the president of FIFA and the heads of state have the right to touch the World Cup. It is strictly forbidden for anyone to do this, including protecting the precious trophy that has been continuously transferred from one World Cup winner to another since 1974.
Such precautions are certainly not superfluous, as the goblet is made of 18 carat gold with malachite stripes at the base. But FIFA rules didn’t stop Salt Bae.
The Turkish chef also annoyed Lionel Messi by insistently asking him to take care of the goblet incident: he touched the Argentinian’s shoulder and shook his hand almost forcefully when he wanted to leave.
In the end, Salt Bae nevertheless forced Lionel Messi to take a picture together, but it was clear that the captain of Albiceleste was very unhappy about this situation.
Other players of the Argentina national team more supported the unexpected visitor: Angel Di Maria, Paulo Dybala, Leandro Parades, Cristian Ramirez were photographed with him.
And goalkeeper Franco Armani even let Nusret Gökçe bite off his medal (although it’s possible that Salt Bae didn’t ask permission).
But the question remains unanswered: How did the chef, despite being so famous, get the right to take the field after the World Cup final? Football fans believe Nusret Gökçe benefits from his ties to Infantino.
Salt Bae restaurants are regularly visited by world stars, and in January 2021 the FIFA President also stopped by. Satisfied with the chief’s work, Infantino said in the video: “Nusret Bey is the number one legend. The best of the best. I had an unforgettable evening in Dubai and will definitely be back.”
At the start of the World Cup on December 3, Salt Bae posted a joint photo from the VIP box with Infantino, Ronaldo, Roberto Carlos and Cafu. It seems that the chief really took advantage of his friendship with the FIFA president to gain accreditation with the highest level of reach, which allowed him to take the field after the World Cup final.
Social media users wrote “This is corruption” under Salt Bae’s joint photo with Infantino.
But this does not bother the chief at all. Moreover, he posted many photos and videos that still hang on the page, with the World Cup in his hands and the players of the Argentina national team, as clear proof of the violation of FIFA rules. Despite widespread criticism, Nusret does not get anything out.
And the publicly condemned Infantino has already managed to follow the chief on Instagram (the owner of Meta was considered an extremist in Russia and was banned).
FIFA’s press office told Sportsmail that it will launch an investigation: “Following an investigation, FIFA learned how people gained unauthorized access to the field at Lusail Stadium on 18 December. Appropriate internal action will be taken.”
Salt Bae is world famous – more than 50 million people are subscribed to its social networks, and the price of one steak in its establishment reaches $ 1,000.
Nusret Gökçe became famous for sprinkling salt on meat in an unusual way in 2017: Nusret lifts the air to shoulder level with a pinch and positions the brush so that the minerals fall first on his elbow and then on the plate. In addition, the chef very skillfully throws knives into the air and cuts the meat with plastic movements, turning the presentation of the food into a real show.
Videos featuring his cheats went viral on the internet, giving him fame, allowing him to open a worldwide network of organizations.
Source: Gazeta
Gregory Robert is a sports aficionado and a writer for “Social Bites”. He provides in-depth coverage of the latest sporting events and trends, offering a unique and knowledgeable perspective on the world of sports.