SUMMARY
- Whistles and jeers were heard when Franz Beckenbauer, the legendary player for Bayern Munich and Germany, was honored with a minute of silence before kickoff.
- Jeering the passing of Franz Beckenbauer was not warmly received by the soccer community.
The decision to shift the Spanish Supercup to Saudi Arabia has generated controversy in Spain, also during Real Madrid’s 5-3 victory against Atletico Madrid in the semifinal, there was significant fury on social media. Whistles and jeers were heard when Franz Beckenbauer, the legendary player for Bayern Munich and Germany, was honored with a minute of silence before kickoff.
To the bewilderment of the Atletico and Real Madrid players and employees, whose disbelief was captured on video in the close-up photos. Jeering the passing of Franz Beckenbauer was not warmly received by the soccer community. After the game, Spanish outlet Cadena SER met with an anonymous local journalist to try and figure out why it occurred and they said it had nothing to do with Beckenbauer.
Minuto de silencio por Beckenbauer… Y abucheos del público saudí. 😐 pic.twitter.com/SFNiVGrOQA
— Abraham P. Romero (@AbrahamRomero_) January 10, 2024
“It has nothing to do with Beckenbauer, but with a more cultural issue. It is a custom or tradition in Saudi Arabia and it is frowned upon to have a minute of silence here,” they said. However, this was the first time it had happened in Al Hilal’s Al Awwal Park Stadium.
It’s possible that the organizers ought to have considered an alternative tribute, but that doesn’t change the fact that the vast majority of the soccer community views the booing as impolite. It remains to be seen what further action will be taken by the Saudi government regarding this misbehavior of their countrymen.
Soccer star Toni Kroos reacts to Saudi fans’ reaction towards him
In a thrilling 5-3 triumph over Atletico Madrid, the German playmaker entered the game in the 67th minute. The match took place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Every time Toni Kroos took possession of the ball, fans would target him, and they would also applaud when he slipped while passing.
It follows his derogatory remarks against players who joined the Saudi Pro League, alleging that their choice to relocate to the Middle Eastern country was “against soccer.” Nevertheless, Kroos seemed to take the criticism from the crowd in stride as he tweeted following the game: “That was fun today! Amazing crowd” with a love heart eyes emoji.
That was fun today! Amazing crowd😍
— Toni Kroos (@ToniKroos) January 10, 2024
Kroos has said several things in the past regarding players signing with the Saudi Pro League. He famously labeled Gabri Veiga’s choice to join Al-Ahli ’embarrassing’ after the previous Celta Vigo midfielder, 21, was previously associated with clubs such as Liverpool, Manchester United, and Napoli.
Carlo Ancelotti, the manager of Real Madrid, claimed he “didn’t understand” why supporters at the Al-Awwal Stadium were whistling at the midfield player. Also, despite the response his teammate received, Dani Carvajal commended the spectators and the environment at the Al-Awwal Stadium.