The Champions League final in Munich wasn’t short on drama, and not all of it unfolded on the pitch. After Paris Saint-Germain’s emphatic 5–0 victory over Inter Milan, the spotlight shifted briefly to a familiar off-field presence Nusret Gokce, better known as Saltbae.
A viral video clip circulating online appears to show Saltbae in a heated exchange with security personnel outside what was rumoured to be a post-match celebration.
Many on social media were quick to assume the worst: had the flamboyant restaurateur, known for his love of the limelight, been kicked out of the party?
Some reports even claimed that Saltbae was denied entry for failing to produce an official invitation—suggesting the incident was a form of public rebuke, perhaps for past antics on the pitch. Memes followed, as did the speculation, reigniting old debates over celebrity behaviour in sports spaces.
But Saltbae himself has since weighed in, offering a very different version of events.
“There was no organisation such as an invitation-only party,” he wrote in a statement posted to social media. “We arrived at the hotel after the match with the UEFA bus because thousands of fans were waiting outside. I was simply there to take photos with them.”
He added that what looked like a confrontation was actually a security guard dentified as “Mr. Dormen” directing him toward the exit while he waited for his car. “Don’t worry about such small things,” he concluded with a swipe at online speculation, “the rest is artificial intelligence.”
So, was Saltbae really bounced from the party or just caught in a digital whirlwind of misinterpretation? For now, it seems the answer depends on which clip you watch and how much you trust your eyes over AI.
