Marius Høibråten surprised everyone by omitting the customary greeting and received criticism, although he later explained his behavior and apologized publicly
An unusual moment occurred minutes before the start of the match between River and Urawa Red Diamonds, for the first matchday of Group E of the Club World Cup. Marius Høibråten, captain of the Japanese team, avoided the traditional handshake with the Millonario players, which caused confusion during the broadcast and anger in the stands.
The central defender's attitude was quickly questioned, especially by Argentine fans on social media, who called him disrespectful. Amid the wave of criticism, the Norwegian player broke his silence with a letter published on his Instagram account.
"I forgot to do the handshake because the setup was new. I was confused and didn't understand that we were supposed to do it. That's why I walked without doing the handshake," wrote the 30-year-old footballer, trying to explain what happened.
Additionally, Høibråten assured that it was never his intention to disrespect either the players or River's supporters. "It seems like I don't care about you or the players, but this was never my intention. I apologized to the players in the locker room after the match and now I apologize to you," he added.
To close his message, he congratulated the opponent and wished them luck for what lies ahead: "Congratulations on the victory! All the best in the upcoming games."
El posteo de Høibråten en Instagram
How Group E of the Club World Cup continues
Action will resume on Saturday, June 21. At 4:00 p.m. (Argentine time), Urawa will face Inter MilanatLumen Field in Seattle. Then, at 10:00 p.m., River will play against Monterrey at the Rose Bowl in Los Angeles.
The Argentine team leads the group with three points, followed by the Mexicans and the Italians with one point each, after drawing 1-1. TheJapanese team, after their initial defeat, is in last place and will seek to recover to keep their chances of qualifying alive.
