A message doing rounds on WhatsApp has been widely shared claiming that a man who took a selfie with Maradona’s open casket has been killed by Boca Junior Ultras. The blurry video shows some men who look like medical workers of police retrieving a body from a dumpster.
Background
Diego Maradona was regarded as one of the top footballers in the 80’s and one of the greatest of all time.
Born in Argentina, he had an illustrious career playing for teams such as Boca Juniors, FC Barcelona and SSC Napoli. He led Argentina to World Cup victory in 1986 after helping eliminate England in the quarter-finals with the infamous hand of God.
Maradona died on 25th November aged 60 after struggling with alcoholism and drug use for years after his retirement. The news shocked the world with thousands defying lockdowns and turning up to show their respect in Buenos Aires and Naples.
Verification
As crowds increased in Buenos Aires, anti-riot police were called to disperse the crowds and the public viewing of his body was called off.
Photos soon emerged of a funeral worker identified as Claudio Fernández taking a selfie with Maradona in an open casket.
The funeral home fired Fernandez, who took the picture with his son, Ismael, and a third person. The photos caused international outrage with Maradona’s lawyer threatening to sue “the scoundrel” responsible for the photos.
Fernandez apologized and begged for forgiveness after the incident. He is said to have received death threats from residents of the El Paternal neighbourhood where Maradona played for Argentinos Juniors team.
The accompanying video was uploaded to YouTube on March 16, with a caption which translated to ‘They found a corpse in a trash can’.
Verdict
According to media sources, Fernandez has made an apology for the pictures and despite receiving death threats, he is still alive. The death threats he described are not associated with the Boca Juniors Ultras. According to Goal.com, Ultras are a portion of a club’s fanbase usually consisting of some of the most extreme and passionate supporters.
The claim that the man who took a selfie with Maradona’s corpse was murdered is therefore FALSE.
No the man was not killed after he took a selfie with Maradona’s corpse. He is still alive
Yeah it’s fine