Linkin Park's Farewell Performance Sparks Rant from Van Basten
Munich played host to an unconventional pre-match ritual before the Champions League final as US rock band Linkin Park and German violinist David Garrett took the stage. The performance, however, was not universally welcomed, particularly from a former footballing great.
Former Netherlands superstar Marco van Basten expressed strong criticism for Linkin Park's concert, referring to it as "idiotic" on Dutch television. Van Basten, who claimed the performance was "worthless" and "a disgrace," was joined by fellow expert Rafael van der Vaart in questioning UEFA's decision, arguing that it would distract the players.
Linkin Park performed a short medley of hits and new songs before the kick-off between Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Milan, with an indifferent audience response overall. David Garrett followed with a performance of the White Stripes hit "Seven Nation Army" on the violin, eliciting enthusiastic roars from the stadium crowd.
This isn't the first time musical acts at major games with no direct team affiliation have sparked controversy. In 2017, Helene Fischer was met with boos from both sets of fans during the half-time show of the DFB-Pokal final between Borussia Dortmund and Eintracht Frankfurt. Since then, the German Football Association has opted to shy away from such acts at finals.
Despite the debate surrounding the pre-match entertainment, PSG secured a historic 5-0 victory over Inter Milan, claiming their first Champions League title and completing a continental treble.
Marco van Basten, a former Netherlands superstar, strongly criticized Linkin Park's performance at the Champions League final, referring to it as "idiotic" on Dutch television. He also argued that it would distract the players and was joined by fellow expert Rafael van der Vaart in questioning UEFA's decision. Notably, this isn't the first time musical acts at major games with no direct team affiliation have sparked controversy, as was evident in 2017 when Helene Fischer was met with boos during the DFB-Pokal final. Despite the ongoing debate about pre-match entertainment, such acts might want to consider the potential for such contentious reactions in the future.
