03 January 2023 , 15:41
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FIFA president Gianni Infantino has defended himself after he was criticised for taking a selfie next to Pele's coffin during the Brazilian legend's wake.
Infantino joined thousands of other people who travelled to Brazil to pay their respects to Pele, who died last Thursday at the age of 82 following a battle with colon cancer. The iconic forward is being laid to rest on Tuesday after a 24-hour wake where his coffin was housed on a temporary structure on the pitch of his former club, Santos.
Infantino sparked a furious backlash online after he was pictured posing for a selfie with some of Pele's friends and family just yards away from the open casket.
But in a lengthy social media statement, Infantino has claimed that he was simply helping some of Pele's friends who, he insisted, "did not know" how to take a selfie.
The FIFA chief wrote: "Just landed from my trip to Brazil where I had the privilege to participate in the beautiful homage to Pele that took place at Vila Belmiro, in Santos.
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"I am dismayed after having been informed that I am apparently being criticised by some people for having taken a selfie and pictures at the ceremony yesterday. I would like to clarify that I was both honoured and humbled that team-mates and family members of the great Pelé asked me if I could take a few photos with them. And obviously, I immediately agreed.
"In the case of the selfie, Pele's teammates asked to do a selfie of all of us together but they didn't know how to do it. So, to be helpful, I took the phone of one of them and took the photo of all of us for him. If being helpful to a teammate of Pele creates criticism I'm happy to take it and will continue to be helpful wherever I can to those having contributed to write legendary pages of football.
Join the debate! What do you make of Infantino's suggestion that all countries should name a stadium after Pele? Let us know here.
Gianni Infantino was criticised for posing for a selfie just yards away from Pele's open casket (Getty Images)"I have so much respect and admiration for Pele and for that ceremony yesterday that I would never do anything that would be disrespectful in any way whatsoever. I hope that those who published or said things without knowing and without seeking information could have the decency and courage to admit they were wrong and correct what they said."
In the final part of his statement, Infantino revealed that FIFA were set to rename the stadium housed inside their headquarters in Switzerland after the legendary forward.
Infantino had suggested that all 211 national football associations should honour Pele by renaming a football stadium after him just 24 hours beforehand.
The statement concluded: "The most important in any case is to pay tribute to King Pelé, and whilst I humbly suggested that throughout our 211 member associations, at least one football stadium or venue is named after him, we will set the example by giving the pitch in our headquarters the name 'Estádio Pelé - FIFA Zürich'. Um abraço e viva o Rei!"