Italian PM left red-faced when he kicked a fish in fear during a boat trip with other leaders at G20 summit
Matteo Renzi was badly startled when a large carp leaped out of a lake and onto the world leaders’ vessel in bizarre incident
ITALY’S premier Matteo Renzi was left red-faced at the G20 summit when he kicked a fish in fear during a boat trip with other leaders.
The 41-year-old leader was badly startled when a large carp leaped out of a lake and onto the world leaders’ vessel.
Summit host and Chinese president Xi Jinping had taken the group on a night time cruise as a cultural outing after dinner in the city of Hangzhou.
Mr Renzi immediately kicked out at the fish, sending it hurtling along the boat’s deck away from him, before stumbling backwards.
The scene almost caused a diplomatic incident, but Mr Renzi managed to stay on his feet.
British PM Theresa May was close by him on the boat at the time.
A senior member of Britain’s G20 delegation told The Sun: “The carp landed pretty near Renzi’s feet, and it quite surprised him.
RELATED STORIES:
“I don’t know why he kicked it. Perhaps he was auditioning to be signed as a striker at an Italian football club.
“He didn’t seem too embarrassed about it all this morning, as I heard him recounting the story to someone in a summit hallway.”
