“Salt Bae” breaks his silence. Star chef on World Cup scandal: ‘I felt it’

At the World Cup in Qatar, after handing over the trophy, there was more focus than Lionel Messi: Nusret Gokce. He caused outrage on the field – before the cup. Now the star chef is talking about this day for the first time.

Nusret Gokce is one of the most famous restaurants in the world. But the star chef spoiled his image at the Qatar World Cup. What happened? After the fantastic World Cup Final between France and Argentina, Gökçe – better known as ‘Salt Bay’ – took the liberty of accompanying Messi and his co-stars’ celebrations with his presence on the pitch.

Many players have been to my restaurant before.

The 39-year-old Turk has spared no effort to hold the World Cup in his hands. “Salt Bay” grabbed the goal of the desire of Argentine defender Christian Romero and accepted it. These scenes sparked outrage around the world. About half a year later, Gökce answered the questions for the first time.

«I love Argentina, I lived there. I was there to support them. Many guys have come to my restaurant before. I didn’t feel like a stranger there. “It was a special moment,” Gokce told the Brits. “Times” About the reasons for entering the stadium after handing over the trophy.

“Salt Bae” says he’s not a fan of the spotlight

Did the idea of ​​public relations also play a role in his work? No, he says: “I didn’t go into the square with the intention of advertising, I just wanted to.” However, some Argentines on the field and the millions of people in front of the screens were less interested in the visit.

“I didn’t like the attention,” says Gökce, who has more than 52 million followers on Instagram with his videos. “Two billion people watched the World Cup Final. And how many people talked about me after that? Five billion. The whole world.”

According to his own statement, the star chef “never wanted to withhold anything” and adds, “I didn’t kick anyone, I didn’t steal anything.” But that doesn’t change the fact that Gökce caused a lot of anger with his behaviour. His friend Gianni Infantino also unfollowed him on Instagram after the World Cup Final. In an interview, Salt Bay made a promise: “I will never set foot on a World Cup field again.”