Chelsea youngster Tyrique George appeared more than happy to pass up a handshake from United States President Donald Trump after the Blues’ Club World Cup win.
Trump was put to work by FIFA boss Gianni Infantino after watching Chelsea claim a shock 3-0 win over Paris Saint-Germain at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium, handing out medals to the victorious squad before taking centre stage for the trophy lift.
For the most part, his presence during this portion of the ceremony went unnoticed. That was until George, who has enjoyed a breakout year for the Blues, dodged a handshake from Trump.
Seeing Trump occupied by the taxing task of retrieving another medal, the 19-year-old decided against waiting and instead opted to receive the congratulations of Blues co-owner Todd Boehly.
The snub, intentional or otherwise, was noted by Trump, who looked in the youngster’s direction before returning to his temporary duties.
Never one to shy away from the spotlight, Trump later inserted himself into the heart of Chelsea’s celebrations, deciding to remain among the Blues stars as skipper Reece James lifted the Club World Cup trophy.
Chelsea youngster Tyrique George appeared more than happy to pass up a handshake from Donald Trump
The Blues youngster decided against waiting for the US President and instead accepted the congratulations of Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly
Trump took centre stage for Chelsea’s trophy lift, remaining next to Blues skipper Reece James for the historic moment
It was anticipated that the Commander-in-Chief would step aside after giving the trophy to James – as is customary. However, to the bewilderment of many Chelsea players, Trump remained on stage for the entire trophy lift.
England hero Cole Palmer looked especially confused by Trump’s actions and appeared to utter the words: ‘What’s he doing?’
Trump had earlier presented Palmer with the golden ball award with the 23-year-old midfielder looking as equally baffled during that presentation.
He and First Lady Melania arrived roughly 35 minutes before kickoff at the nearby Teterboro Airport on the presidential Marine One helicopter from his local golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey.
The 79-year-old was given VIP treatment as he soaked up the action alongside Melania, who cut a chic figure in a white dress and black blazer, and FIFA boss Infantino.
The outing fell on the first anniversary of the assassination attempt Trump survived in Butler, Pennsylvania, and significant security measures were put in place for his arrival.
As detailed in The Athletic , secret service officials worked with organizers to put together a travel route to the venue, and it was believed he would be behind a pane of bulletproof glass at the game.
The president was put on screen at MetLife during the singing of the national anthem prior to the game, and reports emerged from the stadium that he was booed before the stadium camera cut away from him.
The 79-year-old was given VIP treatment as he soaked up the action alongside Melania, who cut a chic figure in a white dress and black blazer, and FIFA boss Infantino
MetLife Stadium later echoed with more boos when Trump, joined by Infantino, made his way out onto the field to present the champions with the trophy.
Trump’s involvement in the trophy presentation after the game further complicated the required security around the American Commander-in-Chief.
‘When you do the threat and risk assessment, you cover anything that could go wrong: if they were at a mass gathering, what if the stage collapsed?’ Nigel Thomas, a former British Special Air Service (SAS) soldier and founder of security training firm, Blue Mountain Group, told The Athletic.
‘We will have a standard operating procedure for that, for example. You need to be prepared for it, and that takes communication with stadium security and emergency services.’
