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Salt Bae, the famous Turkish chef, and internet sensation, has broken his silence after his controversial appearance on the pitch following the World Cup 2022 final in Qatar. The chef, whose real name is Nusret Gokce, was seen holding and kissing the World Cup trophy and celebrating with Argentina players after their win over France on December 18.
Salt Bae's actions sparked outrage among many football fans and pundits, who accused him of disrespecting the trophy and stealing the spotlight from the players. FIFA rules state that only a "very select" group of people, including tournament winners, FIFA officials, and heads of state, can touch the trophy.
FIFA has launched an investigation into how Salt Bae and other individuals gained "undue access" to the pitch after the closing ceremony at Lusail Stadium. The governing body said it will take "appropriate internal action" after reviewing the incident.
Bae said that he supported Argentina and he went on the pitch because he ‘felt like it’. As per talkSPORT, he told Times, "It was a combination of my love of Argentina and my excitement. I love Argentina; I've lived there. I went to support them. Many of (the team) have come to the restaurant. I didn't feel like a stranger. It was a special moment. I can't do anything about the reason I was there, but I would never, ever step on the World Cup pitch again. There were two billion people watching the World Cup… How many people are speaking about me? Five billion. The whole world."
The chef continued that he did not intend to offend anyone or cause any trouble and added that there were many people on the pitch after the game and the attention unnecessarily has gone to him.
Salt Bae said, "I didn't go on the pitch with the purpose of advertising; I just felt like it. Then it was a bit of a surprise. There were at least another 1,000 people on the pitch but when they show the video they make out it was just me. I never ever wanted to overshadow anything. I didn't like the attention. I didn't kick anyone, or steal anything."
The viral chef owns a chain of luxury steakhouses and rose to fame in 2017 after his technique for preparing and seasoning meat became a popular internet meme. Following his World Cup antics, Bae was also banned from the 2023 US Open Cup, one of the United States’ oldest and most prestigious football tournaments.
