FIFA chief justifies widespread anger at Infantino for ‘behavior’ at Pele’s funeral
FIFA chief justifies widespread anger at Infantino for ‘behavior’ at Pele’s funeral
The President of the International Federation of Football Associations, Gianni Infantino, has received harsh criticism from many Brazilians and Pele fans around the world for taking selfies with large numbers of people while attending the memorial service for the late Brazilian legend in Santos, Brazil. He broke his silence and asked her to answer him.
And multiple social media pioneers posted a photo of Infantino taking a selfie with a group of people next to the deceased’s body smiling on his face, sparking disapproval and anger from many fans of the Brazilian legend.
In addition to the selfies, Infantino’s televised statements during the events also sparked a wave of criticism among “King” Pele fans.
The head of the world’s largest sports organization dismissed all criticism in a post on social media, describing his behavior towards the legendary Pele as “disrespectful”.
“I just came back from a long trip from Brazil and I was told that I was criticized by some for taking a selfie at the memorial service,” Infantino wrote.
“I would like to clarify that former colleagues and family of Pele’s family were asked to take pictures with them and, as you have noticed, I responded directly to them.”
Also, regarding the selfie, one of Pele’s former coworkers asked me to take a group selfie with them, and since he didn’t know how, I took his phone and took a picture for him on behalf of all of us.
Likewise, Infantino emphasized that, in his own words, “As one of the producers of football history, Pele will always be at his service and help his colleagues”.
“I love Pele very much and am a huge fan of him and I wouldn’t do anything to disrespect him during the ceremony.”
He also urged “those who spread this news without verifying the information to have the audacity to admit that they were wrong”.
Pele died at the age of 82 last Thursday, after a busy career in which he scored more than a thousand goals, and is the only player to win the World Cup 3 times with the Brazil national team.
