Madonna versus Bundesliga

Eintracht Frankfurt were supposed to be play Karlsruhe on Friday night in the Bundelsiga. But that didn’t happen, and it’s all Madonna’s fault. Actually it’s Madonna’s fans’ fault.

Madge performed at Frankfurt’s Commerzbank-Arena on Tuesday night and apparently her fans trampled the grass, presumably dancing a little too enthusiastically to “Like a Virgin” et al. Frankfurt tried replacing some of the turf, but DFL head Holger Hieronymus inspected the pitch and concluded that the “physical safety of the players could not be assured”.

This highlights the obvious problem that teams face when sharing their home field with commercial interests. Some still blame the state of the Wembley turf for England’s Euro 2008 qualifier defeat to Croatia in 2007, after the New York Giants vs Miami Dolphins NFL game cut up the grass. Though most would agree that Steve McClaren was the bigger problem.

Is it worth going into a diatribe about how football is now just another form of entertainment, like a Madonna concert or a monster truck thingy? Probably not.

I know the new Commerzbank-Arena name is approximately 100% less popular with Frankfurt fans than the original Waldstadion, and that most Frankfurt fans still go with the old name. But the financial reality of modern football is that more and more teams need commercial sponsors and commercial activities at their home ground, which is why Arsenal play at the Emirates Stadium instead of Highbury and Bolton play at Reebok Stadium instead of Burnden Park.

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Category: Bundesliga

Tags: Bundesliga, Eintracht Frankfurt, Karlsruhe, Madonna

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