A funeral worker who took a selfie with soccer legend Diego Maradona’s corpse is now begging for forgiveness.
The photo—which began circulating on Thursday—shows an employee, Diego Molina, giving a thumbs up next to Maradona’s body. Maradona died on Wednesday after suffering heart failure, causing pulmonary edema.
A picture later emerged of a father and son repeating Molina’s gesture by Maradona’s open coffin. The duo, Claudio Fernandez and his son, Ismael, both lost their jobs, Daily Mail reports.
Fernandez later apologized, explaining to an Argentian radio station that he and his son were “getting ready to take Diego to his wake.”
“My son,” he continues, “being a typical youngster, made a thumbs-up sign and he had his photo taken. I ask for everyone’s forgiveness. I’ve worked with Maradona’s father and his brother-in-law.”
“I’ve been close to Diego while he was alive. I would have never disrespected him while he was alive because he was my idol and it was not my intention after he died.”
“I ask all of them to forgive us.”
Since the photos of Molina and Fernandez began circulating, angry Maradona fans began posting death threats online. Some fans are asking authorities to strip Molina’s Argentinian citizenship.
According to Daily Mail, Molina was one of few men trusted with preparing Maradona’s body ahead of a private open-coffin wake for family and friends. The casket was later closed for a public send-off at the presidential palace.
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