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Bukayo Saka is facing backlash for denying an F1 presenter an interview. However, he had every right to turn away from them, given their history.
Bukayo Saka is finished up with Arsenal for the season. The England international had a season to forget, both from a personal perspective and from an Arsenal perspective. Not only was he injured for a large chunk of the season, but he also watched another trophyless season.
In the eyes of Arsenal fans, Saka is worship-worthy. The starboy who once came through the Hale End academy is on his way to becoming a legend for his boyhood club. He's also an incredibly likeable personality, which helps.
However, it isn't the case for every fan in the world. Saka can be on the receiving end of criticism from rival fans and indeed the English media. Well, we all know how poorly the English media can treat their best players.
Now, Saka has found himself at the centre of controversy for a weird reason, and one that shouldn't be receiving any backlash.
Bukayo Saka doesn't have to smile through weird F1 presenter antics
Saka was in Barcelona today for the Grand Prix, along with other members of the England squad (who are in Spain for international duty, so why not make a day of it?)
Rather than enjoying his time out there, Saka is receiving backlash on social media for denying Sky Sports presenter Simon Lazenby an interview. Lazenby asked Saka who he hoped would win the race, to which Saka replied "I don't like to say."
Former racing driver Nico Rosberg followed up by saying Saka "wasn't very friendly," for his response, as if Saka owes them anything.
Truth be told, and F1 fans won't want to hear this, F1 presenters have a very strange habit of tormenting celebrities and sometimes belittling them all in the name of "entertainment."
While I can see the humour in bringing a celebrity down to an individual's level, it's a shame that F1 presenters feel the need to do this as consistently as they do. It comes across as 'you're an outsider to our sport, come get humiliated on live television.'
To be clear, Simon Lazenby didn't do this to Saka. If anything, Lazenby was the most mature person there. It was Rosberg's reaction that justified Saka's decision to deny the interview.
Saka was not there to work. And, to be fair, he might've been put off talking to F1 presenters due to their reputation of belittling celebrities who are there to watch the race (again, not necessarily Lazenby's fault here). Who can blame him for that?
If Saka treated a fan this way, we'd obviously be the first to speak out against that. However, Saka was simply asserting a work-life balance. News break: footballers (humans) are allowed a work-life balance.