Italian football giants AC Milan received brickbats on social media for performing the 'Haka' ahead of their Serie A match on Thursday night, with some describing it as 'bizarre'
Italian football giants AC Milan performed the 'Haka' on Thursday night, in what has been termed as one of the most bizarre sights of the season with even die-hard fans being left bamboozled and disappointed by the act.
The performance took place just before Milan's Serie A match against relegation threatened Carpi at the legendary San Siro stadium and left the fans present at the stadium confused.
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'AC Milan players' perform the 'Haka' before their match against Capri on Thursday
Actors dressed as players of the historic club as well as of the opposing team took to the field before the 'Milan players' performed an imitation of the 'Haka', a war dance of the native tribes in New Zealand most famously performed by the Kiwi rugby team.
The strange act was due to a marketing deal between the Rossoneri and a cosmetics brand, which is a club sponsor. Electronic advertisement hoardings around the stadium also promoted the brand's new motto: 'Men, this is your ritual'.
Milan dubbed the pre-match dance the 'Tekitanka'.
Milan unfortunately weren't inspired by the 'Haka' and could only manage a 0-0 draw with 17th-placed Carpi in front of their bemused San Siro fans.
The hilarious performance got a lot of brickbats from people on social media with 'Haka Milan' trending on Twitter for a while.
Micro-blogging site Twitter saw an outpouring of angry and witty comments targetting the legendary football club with many lamenting their 'fall' and some even calling it the 'death of football'.
Here are some of the Tweets:
That publicity stunt with actors pretending to be Milan + doing the Haka for Nivea is one of dumbest things I've seen in a while
— Gabriele Marcotti (@Marcotti) April 22, 2016
No more #Tekitanka nonsense please @acmilan pic.twitter.com/6xjKkMd7un
— Libyan Milanista (@semo33) April 21, 2016
AC Milan just did a pre-match Haka as part of a Nivea marketing campaign.
— Adam Digby (@Adz77) April 21, 2016
There are absolutely no words. None. https://t.co/jTKiGp0Ztj
I thought United were a laughing stock but check AC Milan out. Embarrassing pic.twitter.com/mcAOZe63xQ
— Anthony Martial (@Martialisation) April 21, 2016
AC Milan performed the Haka before a Serie A game tonight a.k.a. 'The day football died.' #RIPFootball pic.twitter.com/zOL3DR2ZcD
— Nial Foster (@NialFoster) April 21, 2016
That's not a Haka, it's the Macarena to a #Haka sound track.
— Ben Dunbar (@BDDunbar) April 22, 2016
It is absolutely awful though https://t.co/I3GcjzpYrv #amf #ACMilan
AC Milan performed a Haka before a match last night.
— Paddy Power (@paddypower) April 22, 2016
They drew 0-0 with Carpi. Inspiring.https://t.co/8PPAq2zsV0
Ac Milan have gone from the best team in the world to performing the Haka for money in just 11 years...Bizarre.
— Football Stuff (@FootbalIStuff) April 22, 2016
pic.twitter.com/3g3C7QBMkY