Who is Salt Bae, the Turkish chef under investigation by Fifa?

The Indian Express takes a look at who Salt Bae is and his exact infractions that have drawn the ire of fans and Fifa alike.

Who is Salt Bae?

Nusret Gökçe or, as he is more popularly known, Salt Bae, is a Turkish butcher, chef, food entertainer and restaurateur who went viral in January 2017 for his unique style of seasoning steaks. In videos on his restaurant’s Twitter account, Gökçe can be seen to be stylishly cutting steaks and then dropping salt from his fingertips to his forearm, and then onto the dish. His eye-catching style earned him the “Salt Bae” moniker and also made him a viral meme.

He owns Nusr-Et, a chain of luxury steakhouses with branches in Turkey, Greece, the United States, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. The name of his restaurant chain comes from his own name and “Et”, which means “meat” in Turkish.

Since becoming a viral sensation, Salt Bae’s profile has risen meteorically. Today he can be seen serving a host of famous celebrities, despite his restaurant often receiving negative reviews for its food, which many critics have called “overpriced.”

What is Salt Bae’s connection to football?

Nusr-Et has been frequented by many celebrities, with celebrity footballers being among Salt Bae’s most exclusive clientele. Players like Karim Benzema, Cristiano Ronaldo, Gerard Pique, Lionel Messi and David Bekham are just a few big name players who have eaten at Salt Bae’s steakhouses. Even Fifa chief Gianni Infantino visited one of his restaurants in Dubai in January 2021, where he could be seen alongside Salt Bae, mimicking his trademark salt-seasoning pose.

In 2018, Nusr-Et shared a video of late legend Diego Maradona extremely emotionally overwhelmed as Salt Bae serves him meat.

Nusret Gökçe himself has claimed to be a football fan in the past and was seen watching  games in Qatar this year.

What exactly did Salt Bae do?

After the final, Salt Bae found his way to the pitch where the Argetinian players were celebrating with their trophies and medals. He went up to various players and tried to get pictures clicked, despite their clear annoyance. He was also seen holding the Fifa World Cup Trophy itself and performing his trademark salt-sprinkling pose with it.

Outrageously, Salt Bae bit the winner’s medal presented to reserve goalkeeper Franco Armani. While Messi tried to ignore Gökçe’s shenanigans, even he had to finally oblige the man, if only to get him out of his hair.

Salt Bae’s antics drew a lot of criticism from fans. One Tweet said, “File Under CRINGE,” referring to Salt Bae’s attention grabbing tactics.

Another person tweeted, “This is absurd! Has he no respect? Is Salt Bae a player? A coach? A member of the team’s support staff? A family member of any of these? A Head of State? The right to touch and hold the World Cup should be earned!!”

Notably, this is not the first time Salt Bae has angered fans for his disrespectful behaviour. In 2018, he was photographed with an injured Mo Salah after the Champions League Final.

What are Fifa’s rules regarding pitch entry and access to the trophy?

Fifa rules try to provide as much privacy to players as possible. Further, they treat the World Cup Trophy as the most exclusive piece of silverware on the planet. Very few are even allowed to touch the coveted prize.

According to FIFA’s website: “As one of the most recognised sports symbols in the world and a priceless icon, the original FIFA World Cup Trophy can only be touched and held by a very select group of people, which includes former winners of the

FIFA World Cup and heads of state. FIFA are now conducting an investigation into the circumstances which led up to Salt Bae ending up on the pitch. Previously, in 2014, pop sensation Rihanna got into trouble for similar reasons.

Following his shenanigans, Salt Bae has been banned from the 2023 US Open Cup, one of United States’ oldest and most prestigious soccer tournaments.