A funeral worker who took a selfie next to an open casket of Argentine footballer Diego Madonna while living in the state in Buenos Aires has been fired and apologized.
The images, which were widely shared online, sparked international outrage – including death threats.
Claudio Fernandez said Radio Ten On Friday he lost his job at the Seplios Pioneer funeral home with his son Ismail and a third person.
In one image, a man is seen thumbing to the camera with one hand, while another is seen touching the winner’s forehead at the end of the World Cup. Who died of a heart attack on Wednesday, aged 60.
A third funeral worker in the same pose appears in the second photo.
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Mr Fernandez said he had not considered taking the photo. “It was something instantaneous. I just raised my head and my son did it like an 18-year-old,” he told the radio station.
He said he had received threats from others living in the Al Pitru neighborhood where Maradona joined the Argentinos Juniors team in 1976 as a professional.
“They know me. I’m a neighbor.” “They say they’ll kill us, break our heads.”
He said he knew the footballer’s family, and had no intention of showing any disrespect to them and apologized to everyone.
The club said in a statement that it was considering expelling Mr Fernandez from its membership.
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According to the Argentine TV channel, the trio were kept by the funeral parlor to help prepare Maradona’s body and carry the coffin. T.N..
It said manager Matthias Pecan was “disastrous” and claimed the trio were not directly employed by him, and were “outsourced” by a third party.
Said Mr. Pick T.N.: “The family trusted us, we’ve been working with them for a long time. My dad is 75 and he’s crying, I’m crying, my brother too, we’re ruined.”
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Expressing his anger on Twitter, Maradona’s lawyer Matthias Morla wrote on Friday: “I will take care of myself to find out who took the photograph wrong.
“I will not rest until I pay for such a disturbance in memory of my friend. All those responsible for such an act of cowardice will pay.”
Thousands of fans lined the city streets Many people paid homage to the legend of football when the clashes began after they were unable to get a glimpse of the coffin.
Only family members and close friends were present at the tomb, and Maradona was laid to rest next to the graves of his parents, Dalma and Diego.