Article by Aurelian Botezatu – published on Sunday, June 1, 2025, 12:09 / Updated on Sunday, June 1, 202:18
Former Dutch international Marco Van Basten and Rafael van der Vart have criticized the recital given by the Linkin Park band on Allianz Arena.
UEFA took over the FIFA initiative, with minirecitals of some supported troops, and brought to the final of the League at Linkin Park. But the minirecital given by the American rock band, well received by fans, disappointed the former Dutch international Marco Van Basten and Rafael Van Der Vaart.
Marco Van Basten: “It's a shame that UEFA allows this!”
“The performance of Linkin Park was a trash, absolute trash! It is a shame that UEFA allows this!”, Van Basten said for the Dutch Ziggo Sports television station.
Champion of Europe in 1988, with the national team of the Netherlands, and double winner of the Champions League, with AC Milan, Van Basten pointed out: “Players are preparing for the most important match of their lives. It is ridiculous to distract them in this way. I think it is absolutely an idiocy!
Rafael van der Vaart: “You simply do nothing”
Rafael Van Der Vaart is no fan of shows put just before a match of such magnitude and explained how this perceives a player involved in the final. “You get the heating, you are preparing and then you expect. You simply do nothing for half an hour, because of this concert,” the former midfielder of Ajax and Real Madrid complained to the same show, from Ziggo Sports.
Linkin Park played a short Medley with their hits and new pieces. The band is in a tour that returns practically into the circuit, after the long break taken from the death of the soloist Chester Bennington, who took his life in 2017. In the autumn of 2024 he returned surprisingly, with Emily Armstrong in the role of Lead Singer.
Tom Cruise, Tom Brady and Hungary Prime Minister Viktor Orban were among the VIPs
Tom Cruise greets the fans
On the Allianz Arena, other VIPs could be seen apart from Linkin Park. Actor Tom Cruise and former English international David Beckham commented on the event for the “Paramount +” post, CBS had on -site Thierry Henry, Micah Richards and Jamie Carragher.
Also present, the NFL legend, Tom Brady, the YouTube “Ishowspeed” (39.7 million subscribers), the famous chef Salt Bae, coming from Dubai, and US billionaire Michael Rubin. The President of FIFA, Gianni Infantino, and the prime minister of Hungary, Vitor Orban, were not missing.
The famous chef of Turkish organ, Salt Bae, has been among the VIPs on Allianz Arena
