Turkish chef Nusret Gokce, known as ‘Salt Bay’, who angered football fans with the World Cup trophy in hand, has been banned from the US Open Cup final. The action comes after the celebrity chef caused a ruckus at the FIFA World Cup finals and broke an important FIFA rule. The action against Salt Bay was announced via the official US Open Cup Twitter handle.
The Salt Bay raid came amid a victory celebration by members of the Argentina team at Lucille Stadium. After coming on, he annoyed the fans and disrupted the Argentine celebrations. The players would hold the Salt Bay trophy and stand with it as they cheered with their families. Lionel Messi was also seen harassing him for taking pictures. But Messi ignored the chef and instead celebrated with his teammates. But Salt Bay continued to haunt Messi. Finally, he took a photo with Messi.
He also posed with other players in the squad including Alexis McAllister, Paulo Dybala, Nicolas Otamendi, Angel Di Maria and Leandro Paredes. Biting the medals of some champions also led to criticism. Many fans have come forward with harsh criticism against Salt Bay. Fans also asked how it was allowed near a FIFA venue.
Only a select few get to touch the 18-carat gold trophy, worth around $20 million. According to FIFA rules, only former FIFA World Cup winners, heads of state and selected individuals are allowed to touch and hold the World Cup trophy.
Lionel Messi tends to ignore Salt Bay in World Cup celebrations 😂 pic.twitter.com/m9aVT80Bs2
— Daily Loud (@DailyLoud) December 20, 2022
STORY HIGHLIGHTS: Salt Bay Banned From US Open Cup Final After His Antics In 2022 FIFA World Cup Angers Fans
