For many football fans across Europe, hearing the Champions League anthem at their home ground is an awe-inspiring experience. That wasn’t the case for most Liverpool supporters inside Anfield on Wednesday night.
The stadium was hosting its first fixture in UEFA’s flagship club competition since February 2023 as Bologna came to town, although many of the 59,816 in attendance took their opportunity to send out an emphatic message shortly before kick-off.
As soon as the ubiquitous Champions League music was heard on the tannoy, most of the home support greeted it with deafening boos, which after a few second gave way to loud cries of ‘Liverpool, Liverpool, Liverpool’.
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It was immediately made clear that Kopies haven’t forgotten or forgiven the governing body of European football over the shambolic organisation around the tournament’s 2022 final against Real Madrid in Paris, and the heavy-handed treatment from French police that evening.
It won’t be until UEFA demonstrate irrefutable evidence that lessons have been learned from the horrific scenes outside the Stade de France two-and-a-half years ago that the relationship with LFC fans will have any chance of being mended.
You can view the Liverpool fans’ response to the Champions League anthem below, via @LewisSteele_ on X:
Liverpool fans boo and sing over the Champions League anthem pic.twitter.com/THhU6zhfWr
— Lewis Steele (@LewisSteele_) October 2, 2024
