Featured image credit: PA Images
The return of the Champions League is usually greeted with much enthusiasm each season and, if you're a fan of Leicester City, you'll be chomping at the bit to hear UEFA's anthem blaring out of the speakers at the King Power stadium for the first time, ever. Just remember not to interrupt the Champions League theme, though.
The interruption of said theme by Manchester City supporters during the 2015/16 campaign has been a source of controversy, with the Citizens' fans disillusioned at UEFA's so called 'punishment' of CSKA Moscow for the racist behaviour of their fans, two seasons ago. The club's supporters were unhappy after 650 CSKA Moscow fans defied a UEFA ban for racism offences by gaining access to their Champions League tie last season, which was supposed to be played behind closed doors. The club subsequently submitted an official letter of complaint to UEFA.
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As it transpires, the booing of the Champions League anthem is a punishable offence, although City didn't face any sanctions for their crowd jeering it before a group game with Sevilla, last season. Yet this protection of the pre-match tune isn't the only inane regulation European football's governing body has implemented for it's premiere competition.
In a fascinating piece for The New York Times, Rory Smith has documented the bizarre rules that Champions League newcomers Leicester will have to learn and adhere to and slagging off a piece of bullshit, faux-classical music is just the tip of the iceberg.
For starters, no club mascot is to be any more than 'slightly taller than a normal person', so any of you seven foot dreamers with visions of a future as Gunnersaurus can go and fucking swivel. Oh, and don't even dare have any less than three individual seated toilets in your dressing room or have a covered substitutes' bench that holds less than 14 people, as both of these rules are strictly imposed by UEFA.
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The 155 (A HUNDRED AND FIFTY FIVE) page document also details how any groundskeeping staff with ideas above their station should wind their neck in as UEFA are dead against any avant garde pitch designs, instead insisting that all pitches contain a uniform nine lines, the first four of which should be precisely 5.5m in width, with no grass allowed to grow taller than 30mm. Not far from this meticulously designed turf should be stored 84 regulation Adidas match day balls.
Off the pitch, clubs must allow space for 30 members of the world's media, rather than the standard 18 that is compulsory in the Premier League. Visiting clubs must of course be accommodated for, as well, with the host club expected to recommend local hotels for their opponents.
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Oh and you goalkeepers, with your gloves bearing the logos of various sponsors, you better ensure said logos don't exceed 20 square centimetres. We don't know what happens if any of these rules are broken, but we fully expect the resulting punishments to be more severe than they would be for match fixing, hooliganism or racism, given UEFA's abysmally inconsistent track record with meting out sanctions.
(H/T The New York Times)
Topics: Football, UEFA, Champions League