All football fans know this well. A Champions League match doesn’t really start at kick-off. It really begins when the players enter, when the competition anthem resonates in the stadium.
Composed in 1992 by the British Tony Britten, this piece contributes to the legendary side of the Champions League. It evokes for football lovers the most beautiful of club competitions, and when it sounds, in September, for the first day of the group stage, it is synonymous with reward for those who have been invited to the big ball, and the start of the great adventure for those who dream of lifting the trophy the following spring.
A slightly reworked hymn
As the start of the group stage approaches, and this first day which will stretch from Tuesday to Thursday, UEFA has unveiled a version of the Champions League anthem which differs from previous years. The sound is not quite the same, and a few extra notes are heard.
If the lyrics remain the same, in French, German and English (see below), but the anthem is different enough to challenge or disturb the most die-hard Champions League fans…
The lyrics of the Champions League anthem:
They are the best
Sie sind die Besten
These are the champions
Die Meister
Die Besten
The great teams
The champions
