Why Manchester City fans boo the Champions League anthem

Manchester City fans during a Champions League game

City fans let their feelings be known (Picture: Dave Howarth – CameraSport via Getty Images)

Manchester City have become Champions League regulars since the Abu Dhabi based group bought the club in 2008 and turned them into one of the best sides in Europe.

And whilst the club’s supporters have delighted in their Premier League success, sections of the fanbase have an uneasy relationship with UEFA and the Champions League.

To the surprise of many, City fans often boo the Champions League anthem when it is played at the start of matches.

But why exactly do they do this? Here is everything you need to know.

Why do City fans boo the Champions League anthem?

The booing of one of the most famous anthems in sport began in the 2011/12 season, when Porto was fined €20,000 (over £17,000) after fans racially abused Mario Balotelli.

But when City played Sporting Lisbon away from home just a month later, the team were 30 seconds late emerging for the second half and were fined €30,000 (over £26,000), sparking outrage from fans.

Pep Guardiola walks past the Champions League trophy after losing the 2021 final to Chelsea

City have had a difficult relationship with the competition (Picture: Pierre-Philippe Marcou – Pool/Getty Images)

Fans were scorned again in 2013, when group stage opponents CSKA Moscow were forced to play their home match with City behind closed doors following racial abuse by fans of the Russian club.

City fans were also barred from entering the stadium, despite the fact that many had already bought flights, hotels and tickets for the game.

On the night of the match, many CSKA fans were allowed into the stadium, with some even wearing colours – and the length of their stadium closure was actually reduced on appeal.

In February 2017, Manchester City were due in Ukraine to face Dynamo Kyiv in the Round of 16, but the game was scheduled to be played behind closed doors and so City fans knew not to travel.

However, UEFA overturned the ban just weeks before the game, at which point it was too late for City fans to arrange travel and accommodation.

Manchester City fans during a Champions League game

Expect boos from the blues (Picture: Visionhaus/Getty Images)

The biggest flashpoint in City fans’ animosity towards UEFA was when the club were found to have breached Financial Fair Play rules in 2014.

The club were fined £49million, made to restrict their transfer spending and forced to name a smaller Champions League squad.

Manchester City were again found in breach of Financial Fair Play rules in 2020, with the decision to ban them from the Champions League for two seasons only overturned on appeal.

Other clubs around Europe have been found in breach of Financial Fair Play, but City fans believe these clubs have been let off lightly in comparison to the punishment dished out to them by UEFA.


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