Colombia head coach Nestor Lorenzo is worried that a hot Shakira halftime show will cause his players to cool off in Sunday’s championship game.
The 2024 Copa América final halftime show has been extended from a traditional 15 minutes to 25 minutes in order to accommodate a performance from Shakira.
“I hope you enjoy, Shakira is great,” he said in his news conference ahead of today’s final with Argentina, which is airing live in the U.S. on Fox. “For a final, when the rules change for both teams, bad pitches for both or same weather for both, then I can’t say if its bad or if it favors one side.
“I can’t understand it, I wish it were like the rest. When we came out in the 16th minute we were sanctioned, but now that there is a show we can come out in the 20th-minute mark. Players can get cold, but it’s on both sides. I found out today that this is how it is, and that’s it.”
The coach referenced incidents in the group stage that saw managers from Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay suspended for one match after each team arrived late to the field of play.
The Copa América is the top men’s quadrennial football tournament contested among national teams from South America. It is the third-most watched in the world.
