Outraged Exhibition Pre-Show Leaves Legendary Footballer Van Basten in Anger Before the Champions League Final
In the lead-up to the Champions League final in Munich, renowned former footballer Marco van Basten voiced strong criticism towards the musical performance by Linkin Park before the game. The American rock band, joined by German violinist David Garrett, warmed up the audience at Allianz Arena ahead of the highly anticipated match between Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Milan.
However, Van Basten seemed less than impressed with the nu-metal band's performance, taking to Dutch television to express his opinions. He criticized it as "absolutely idiotic" and deemed the performance "worthless, really worthless." The 1988 European champion and two-time Champions League winner found the performance to be a distraction for the players, who were required to cut their warm-up short and head to the dressing room half an hour prior to kick-off. He referred to the decision as "laughable" on the part of UEFA.
A medley of Linkin Park's hits and new songs set the tone for the match before kick-off, yet the audience's response was largely subdued. There was applause at the end, and Garrett's rendition of "Seven Nation Army" on the violin drew passionate cheers from the crowd.
Linkin Park is currently in the middle of a world tour in support of their 2024 album "From Zero," featuring new vocalist Emily Armstrong. This summer, they will be performing five stadium concerts across Germany as part of their comeback tour following the tragic death of their former frontman, Chester Bennington, in 2017.
Pre-match entertainment choices have been a subject of debate in the past, with some viewers criticizing such acts at major events. Back in 2017, German singer Helene Fischer was met with harsh boos during the half-time show of the DFB-Pokal final, due to the divided fan base of the competing clubs. Consequently, the German Football Association decided to discontinue such acts at subsequent cup finals.
In Munich, the controversy surrounding Linkin Park's performance did not seem to impact Paris Saint-Germain's performance on the pitch, as they went on to secure a historic 5-0 victory over Inter Milan and claim their first-ever Champions League title.
- In light of the mixed responses to pre-match entertainment acts and Van Basten's criticism, community debate surrounding suitable employment policies for such performances at major sports events, like the Champions League, has become more prominent.
- Given Marco van Basten's criticism of the Linkin Park performance and his past successes as a football champion in European leagues, some within the community question whether a sports-focused employment policy should prioritize entertainment that is more conducive to the playing environment, especially during crucial matches like the Champions League final.
