Kivo Daily Staff 2, Author At Kivo Daily

Behind the Viral Messi Photo

Kivo Daily Staff 2 on January 5, 2023

…

Argentina won the World Cup this year. So naturally, thousands of shots have appeared online to pay homage to the Argentian team who won the highly-sought championship, especially its star player, Lionel Messi.

The most viral Messi photo was that of Shaun Botterill, where Messi sat on Sergio Aguero’s shoulder while he was holding the World Cup trophy above his head. A simple but proud smile is etched on his face, and his eye gleam with happiness as he valiantly gives another win Argentinians would be proud of. Messi uploaded the photo on his Instagram account, which is now the most-liked photo in the social media site’s history. The image overtook another most-liked photo by the photographer who took Messi’s shot.

Botterill said several photographers positioned themselves in front of the stand near the advertising boards. After the ceremony bestowing Argentina with the World Cup, the team’s captain went over to their fans, leading hoards of photographers to rush into the Argentinian team wanting to capture the glorious and proud moment.

“I almost got trapped, but I got trapped in the right place. I think if most of us [photographers] are honest, you always need a bit of luck, and I had a bit on Sunday night. Messi was just there, and he didn’t move that much. Sometimes you get pushed around, and he just was doing all the bits, one-handed, two hands on the trophy,” Botterill recalled.

“We had no idea what was going to happen at the end. You can plan for the trophy lift, but you can’t plan for the runaround, and you don’t know how chaotic it’s going to be. I was pretty close to him. I’m probably like two meters away maximum,” he continued.

“It is quite a weird feeling, and it’s a bit surreal, you go: ‘Holy s**t,’ he’s right there where you want him to be, and that doesn’t happen often. Even his hands coming up [with the trophy], I think the way he’s holding it and smiling, he’s definitely got a moment with the fans.”

Several versions of the Messi photo

Aguero, a former Argentinian player, carried his friend on his shoulders; Botterill knew it was the perfect moment to capture. So he immediately grabbed his equipment, took a shot, and sent it to his editors. Coincidentally, his son, another aspiring photographer, was at the editing desk that night and replied to his father about editing the photo he sent. Botterill recalled his son saying that the picture he took of Messi was good. Botterill said he had versions of the image he wished Messi uploaded other than the one he did on his Instagram account.

“I do remember thinking: ‘Blimey, how the hell have I ended up where I am?’ Because in those situations, you’re governed by where the masses are pushing you. When I look back, you can’t believe that guy is in front of you on the shoulders of Sergio Aguero, holding up the World Cup, showing that to his fans,” he said.

“It’s got that impact, hasn’t it? It’s got the happy face; it’s got the joy, the trophy and it kind of looks chaotic.”

An unexpected feat

Botterill is not highly-immersed in social media. So initially, he needed to learn that the photo he took of Messi had already made history in a social media application. This Wednesday, Meta founder and the owner of Instagram, Mark Zuckerberg, announced that Botterill’s photo is already the most liked on Instagram. As of the latest count, the Messi photo has garnered 72 million likes and is still rising. Instagram’s most well-liked photo before Messi was a photo of an egg that got 57 million likes.

“That’s the funny thing for me because I’m not on Instagram. I wouldn’t even know how to crop an Instagram picture. So for me, it’s hilarious, the fact that you’ve got this 55-year-old bloke that’s not on Instagram, and he’s got two boys who think it is the funniest thing ever,” Botterill said.

“The youngest one said: ‘It’s at 62 million, dad.’ I’m from a little town in Northampton, so it’s quite bizarre. It’s kind of crazy because I didn’t really have a clue what was going on. It’s only when a colleague messaged me and said: ‘Oh, have you seen how many likes [your photo has]?'”

“So it’s slightly ironic that all of a sudden I’m this old guy not on social media that, obviously on the back of a great footballer, has put out a picture that’s been picked up a bit. So it’s quite funny really – I got off the plane and didn’t know what the hell was going on.”

Going into his passion, he said that 36 years in the industry did not bore him. He explained that the feeling he had decades ago is still the same feeling he has now, like someone who had just started capturing the world of sports’ most memorable scenes. Botterill covered the World Cup for the first time in 1967 and another in 1994. Botterill said he wants to enjoy the moment and share it with people worldwide.

“I think when you get a picture of a player or a sports person that is really up there, you know, they can debate whether is he the greatest ever; is it Pelé? Is it Maradona? But the bottom line is he [Messi] is up there, so if you get a really nice picture of a great player, it’s kind of a nice feeling.”

“He’s a great, he’s fantastic, he’s unbelievable. So that kind of gives you the buzz, to get a really good picture. Everybody else can decide what they think about the photo, but it’s a really nice picture of one of the greatest players ever, so that’s nicest bit for me. This is why you got to work.”

FIFA World Cup 2022: Japan Upsets Germany with a 2-1 Loss

Kivo Daily Staff 2 on December 1, 2022

…

The Japanese football team shook the world and stunned football enthusiasts after it secured a 2-1 victory against Germany at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

The Khalifa International Stadium burst in jest and disbelief following a late comeback from the Asian team, each with a goal from players Ritsu Doan and Takuma Asano. This marks the first loss of the German team after leading the half-time since 1978.

The four-time World Cup winners expressed disbelief and said the Japanese caught them off guard. Germany also performed poorly back in 2018 when they finished the group stages.

“It is ludicrous that we are here with a defeat. We played a good game over long periods. But a game is also marked by the chances that you convert into goals,” said striker Thomas Muller.

“It’s a big surprise. We saw the Saudi victory over Argentina – the Asian countries are reaching the global standard,” said the Japanese coach Hajime Moriyasu.

“With this defeat and zero points, we are under pressure, no question about it. We can only blame ourselves, and it’s a great disappointment. We were on the right path in the first half. And we had 78 percent possession and were ahead 1-0. Then, we had good chances in the second half that we didn’t take advantage of,” said Hansi Flick, the Germany manager.

“Japan was simply more efficient today. However, we made mistakes that we should never commit, especially in a World Cup, and those are the things that we need to improve on,” he added.

Germany protested at the FIFA World Cup

European football associations warned FIFA members of possible sanctions if they donned a “OneLove” armband during the event. However, the German team and the Federal Minister of the Interior and Community Nancy Faeser disobeyed the rule and wore one.

Furthermore, as a protest, the German team covered their mouths for a team picture. According to sources, this symbolizes support for the freedom of speech.

“With our captain’s armband, we wanted to set an example for values that we live in the national team: diversity and mutual respect,” said the DFB.

“Be loud together with other nations. This is not about a political message: human rights are non-negotiable. That should go without saying. But unfortunately, it still isn’t. That is why this message is so important to us. Banning us from the bandage is like banning our mouths. Our stance stands.”

An unexpected win

According to the Japanese coach, they wanted to dominate the game. However, he admitted that Germany was a strong foe. And so they needed to maintain focus throughout the game.

He said that the Japanese team tried to grab all the openings they could get, and while the German team came to them at full force, they ‘hang tough until the final whistle.’

“Absolutely, I expected Germany to win that game. It’s a massive shock. Japan are no mugs, but it just shows that you will get a big surprise when you’re not quite at it. What surprised me with the second goal was that Manuel Neuer turned his body to allow the ball to go past him,” said sports enthusiast Gary Neville.

“Usually, Neuer stands up strong and is a brilliant goalkeeper. The result will send shockwaves through the tournament.”

Wefox CEO Dismayed with Tech Companies Firing Employees

Kivo Daily Staff 2 on December 1, 2022

…

The CEO of Wefox, a multibillion-dollar digital insurance company in Europe, criticizes other significant tech firms for laying off thousands of workers.

The decision to fire employees in bulk, according to Julian Teicke, will not benefit those trying to cope with rising prices. Many businesses, including Meta, Twitter, and Amazon, announced the termination of a sizeable portion of their personnel owing to financial challenges. According to the businesses, layoffs will assist each of them in dealing with the dire state of the world economy.

Wefox CEO Teicke stated that he is “disgusted” by how his colleagues dealt with the issue. According to many venture investors, the ideal approach is cost minimization and employee layoffs. Additionally, employment freezes and significant labor reductions will help to balance off the rise in resource prices.

“I’m a little disgusted by statements like, ‘never miss a good crisis’ [or] ‘we have to cut the fat,'” said Teicke in an interview.

Meantime, Doug Leone from Sequoia Capital stated that investors need to create plans to cope with the economic issues in the best way possible. According to Leone, in the upcoming couple of years, those who know how to deal with the current situation will succeed more than others.

“You have a great opportunity in front of you if you play your cards right. You have an opportunity to pass ten cars. So do not waste a good recession,” he said.

Wefox CEO dismayed by other’s decisions

Sebastian Siemiatkowski, CEO of Klarna, expressed his gratitude for his good fortune after his company cut thousands of internal jobs earlier this year. 90% of the fired employees, according to Siemiatkowski, have already secured new employment. He views himself as fortunate as a result. The mismanagement of others, however, has kept the Wefox CEO’s opinion of them the same.

“If we would have done that today, that probably, unfortunately, would not have been the case,” said Siemiatkowski.

“These are people that have maybe quit other jobs to join your business. These are people that have maybe moved to other places because of you. And these are people that have maybe ended romantic relationships,” Teicke said.

Manager’s huge responsibility

Wefox CEO reportedly expressed dismay when he remarked that managers and CEOs significantly influence the lives of their employees. But, he said, CEOs must defend their workers. Due to the current economic troubles everyone experiences, it has even become more evident.

“I believe CEOs have to do everything in their power to protect their employees. I haven’t seen that in the tech industry, and I’m disgusted by that. These are humans. I don’t believe in mass layoffs. We’re going to focus on performance but not on mass layoffs,” he said.

Teicke claims that Wefox won’t let workers go, adding that his business has become “crisis-resistant” by preparing for the most extreme scenario. Teicke added that to maintain sustainability despite European economic issues, Wefox must continue to research the macroeconomic situation.

Author: Kivo Daily Staff 2

Follow us on: