UEFA urged to bring back original Champions League anthem as fans react to 2026-27 version
Fans have urged UEFA to bring back the original Champions League anthem after a video of the adapted version was posted ahead of Tuesday's opening round of league phase fixtures.
Europe's premier club competition will return to our screens on Tuesday night, with Real Madrid, Inter Milan, Manchester City and Aston Villa all featuring.
To celebrate, UEFA uploaded a clip of the Champions League anthem on their socials, but the post was soon flooded with comments calling on the governing body to bring back the original version of the song.
Fans want UEFA to bring back old Champions League anthem
UEFA refreshed the theme for the 2024-25 season by re-recording it with a faster tempo and a heavier focus on vocals
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As you can hear in the clip below, there is a much greater emphasis on the vocals and noticeably less percussion, which many believe takes away from the anthem’s power and makes it far less atmospheric.
The change didn't go down well in 2024 and two years later, plenty of fans think UEFA should reinstate the old anthem, with one saying: "To this day I have no idea why someone approved the changes to the music."
A second wrote: "Bring back the original anthem that the church choir sounded like. The original version is majestic and inspiring to achieve glorious success in this tournament."
A third commented: "I still don’t like that they changed the anthem. The old one felt elegant yet bombastic at the same time, like both football royalty and underdogs are in it. This one has only elegance, like they forgot it’s supposed to have moments that fill you with adrenaline."
A fourth added: "Bring back the old anthem mix/performance. This has no life."
Since being introduced for the debut of the competition in 1992, the Champions League anthem has become one of the most recognisable songs in history.
The music is Tony Britten's 1992 adaptation of the 1727 classical piece Zadok the Priest, which was written by George Frideric Handel.
So, what are the lyrics? Good question. The song was written in UEFA's three official tongues: English, French and German.
It begins: "Ce sont les meilleures équipes [They are the best teams]. Es sind die allerbesten Mannschaften [They are the best teams]. The main event. Die Meister [The masters]. Die Besten [The best]. Les grandes équipes [The great teams]. The champions!"
The song continues: "Une grande réunion [A big meeting]. Eine grosse sportliche Veranstaltung [A great sporting event]. The main event. Die Meister. Die Besten. Les grandes équipes. The champions!
"Ils sont les meilleurs [They are the best]. Sie sind die Besten [They are the best]. These are the champions. Die Meister. Die Besten. Les grandes équipes. The champions!"
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The full-length Champions League anthem runs for approximately three minutes, but many are only familiar with its orchestral rendition, which is played before every game.
Topics: Champions League, UEFA
Jack Kenmare