Icon: enlarge
Most of the men received the fist greeting from Joaan bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani
Photo: Colin McPhedran / MB Media / imago images / MB Media Solutions
Fifa President Gianni Infantino has rejected reports of the Club World Cup award ceremony alleging that he had instructed the two referees not to touch Qatar's top official.
"In view of the lies that were spread online," the world football association sent a statement from the Swiss.
He used the brief moment of the medal handover to congratulate the referees "on their great work during the entire tournament," said Infantino.
An instruction on how to behave did not take place.
The video of the ceremony following the final victory of FC Bayern last week can be seen how the Brazilians Edina Alves Batista and Neuza Back pick up their medals from Infantino and then without the fist greeting to Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al- Thani go by.
This adopted the vast majority of professionals and trainers with the corona-compliant gesture.
It was subsequently speculated that the sheik had deliberately not touched the two referees, which both Fifa and the organizing committee of the 2022 World Cup host country rejected.
First referees at the Club World Cup
Edina Alves Batista and Neuza Back were appointed as the first referees for the Club World Cup together with the Argentine Mariana de Almeida.
"Seen as a whole, it is clear from the video material that this was a simple misunderstanding and that there was no intention of offending," an OK spokesman for the German press agency said on Sunday about the allegations.
The decision to establish physical contact in any form is a personal one for all players, coaches and referees in Corona times.
The following video referee Julio Bascunan had also not received a fist greeting from the sheikh.
The pros of the defeated Mexican club Tigres UANL as well as those of the German record champions then took to the stage in quick succession, where Infantino presented the medals and Bayern boss Karl-Heinz Rummenigge also congratulated Bayern.
Icon: The mirror
mfu / dpa