SINGAPORE - A storm blew up on Facebook on Monday (Oct 17) over an unflattering photo of Football Association of Singapore (FAS) goalkeeper coach Frederic de Boever.
In a picture that was circulated around the social media platform, the Belgian was seen running across the carpark at Jalan Besar Stadium with only a towel wrapped around his waist to protect his modesty.
Thankfully, just as he instructs his players to show safe hands, de Boever's grip on the towel was firm and avoided a catastrophic wardrobe malfunction. And neither was there a strong gust of wind to help him recreate one of Marilyn Monroe's most famous scenes.
As he explained in a Facebook posting, it was never his intention to streak in public after a post-training shower and realising later that he had left his clothes in his locked office.
He wrote: "I didn't want to shock anyone. I just went on the street for 30 seconds to ask the key of a colleague so I was able to get my cloths back who where still in the office that was locked... I'm very sorry if I offended someone. But I was the only option that I had left..."
However, an eagle-eyed member of the public had snapped a picture. The photo was grainy, reminiscent of those famous Big Foot and Yeti sighting pictures but it was enough to cause de Boever much embarrassment.
Some netizens slaughtered him with unsavoury comments that attacked his nationality, others asked the FAS to sack him while others wanted him to (metaphorically) throw in the towel and quit.
But the 35-year-old coach, who started work in Singapore in January, has nothing to hide and apologised. He wrote: "I realise that this not very appropriate and I apologise for this. Please note that I locked myself out of the office while I was taking a shower in the FAS building after Saturdays game. All my clothes where in the office so I had to ask the key to someone on the street to get back in and to take my clothes. This is the story behind this picture."
De Boever previously ran his own goalkeeping academy in Belgium and assisted Guy Marten, the man who produced current Chelsea and Belgium No. 1 Thibaut Courtois, at RKC Genk.
