RIO DE JANEIRO, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- The president of Brazilian football giants Palmeiras, Arnaldo Tirone, sparked controversy on Monday after being caught sunbathing on a Rio beach just hours after his club was relegated to the second division.
A photo of Tirone, shirtless and fidgeting with his mobile phone on Rio's trendy Leblon beach, was widely circulated on Facebook and Twitter on Monday.
The image drew the ire of thousands of Palmeiras fans who flooded social media sites to voice their anger.
Tirone, who initially denied the reports, later admitted to UOL he had in fact spent time on the beach on Monday.
"When I was first asked I got a shock and that's why I denied being in Rio," Tirone said. "But then I realized I had done nothing wrong."
"I went to the game, suffered with the team and today I had a meeting in Rio. I went for a swim in the sea to release some stress. What's wrong with spending some time at the beach?"
Palmeiras, Brazil's most successful club with eight top-flight titles, dropped to the second tier for only the second time on Sunday night after fellow relegation contender Portuguesa climbed to safety with a 2-2 draw against Gremio.
It came after Sao Paulo-based Palmeiras drew 1-1 with Flamengo on Saturday in the city of Volta Redonda, 130km from Rio.
"Did we need any proof about this guy? He should be on the team bus with the rest of the players and coaches, not on the beach. He has no shame," one Palmeiras fan wrote.
Another said: "If people we were still wondering how Palmeiras went down, now you have your answer."