Why did Liverpool fans boo the Champions League anthem ahead of Real Madrid defeat?
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Liverpool fans could be heard booing the Champions League anthem ahead of their defeat to Real Madrid on Tuesday.
Anfield audibly drowned out the anthem, leaving spectators questioning their contempt for Europe's most elite competition.
The boos soon turned to cheers after Darwin Nunez flicked the ball past Thibaut Courtois to open the scoring inside five minutes, before Mohamed Salah doubled their lead less than 10 minutes later.
However, Vinicus Jr's stunning strike proved to be the turning point of a remarkable comeback which saw Los Blancos come away 5-2 winners in Merseyside.
Jurgen Klopp is in need of a miracle at the Bernabeu if his side are to progress to the quarter-finals.
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Why did fans boo the Champions League anthem?
But in the background of a disappointing result were fans' disappointment with UEFA for their handling of last year's final.
Liverpool faced Real Madrid in a highly anticipated Champions League final last year. However, Real's victory was overshadowed by events beforehand.
Many Reds fans were unable to get into the Stade de France following vast congestion on the bridge leading over to the stadium, for which they were subsequently blamed for.
However, an independent review has since found supporters innocent, with fans using Tuesday's anthem as an opportunity to air their grievances.
The report stated that UEFA bear the ‘primary responsibility for failures’ that almost led to a ‘mass fatality catastrophe’, after spectators were teargassed outside the ground.
Presenter Jake Humphrey apologised for BT's coverage of the final in the build-up to the match, reiterating the false accusations against fans.
He explained: "I just want to say sorry to all the people involved in this football club, the stress was added to you because of us sharing that information, which we now know to be completely false.
"The truth is that those football fans that were being accused were out there saving the lives of other football fans, including our family members and our friends.
"If lessons aren't learned, then next time that this happens there could be even more of a tragedy than we saw on that night in Paris."
Featured Image Credit: Alamy
Topics: Liverpool, Real Madrid, Champions League, Football
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