"They ruined the legendary anthem", "Trying to toy with my childhood memories" - Fans react as UEFA updates the Champions League anthem
Fans have hit out at UEFA for updating the Champions League anthem with a remixed version ahead of this season's competition. The tournament will have a new look this season, expanding from 32 to 36 clubs and using a single league phase rather than group stage.
The sound of Europe's elite club competition has also been updated, with the iconic anthem remixed. The theme's vocals, produced by Tony Britten and UEFA, are now more prominent.
The Champions League theme is one of the most recognizable anthems in sport. Fans are wowed when players line up ahead of games with the song bellowing out of the stadium's speakers. Britten's theme was written in 1992 when the competition was rebranded. It's a take on Handel's anthem, Zadok the Priest.
Fans have had reservations about the changes made to the tournament, with the traditional group stage no longer being used. UEFA continues to give it a facelift, and the anthem remix hasn't gone down well with supporters.
One fan feels the anthem has been ruined:
"They ruined the legendary anthem."
Another fan asked why UEFA are playing with their Champions League memories:
"Are they trying to toy with my childhood memories?"
More fans on X (formerly Twitter) gave their take on the musical change, and one fan is furious:
"This woke nonsense has to stop."
Another fan expects a circus:
"This UCL campaign's gonna be a circus I tell yah."
One fan wants UEFA to make a U-turn:
"Delete that s*** and go back to the old one."
When is the Champions League draw?
The draw for this season's Champions League league phase takes place on Thursday (August 29) at 5 PM BST (12 PM ET) at Gimaldi Forum in Monaco. Fans can watch it on UEFA's website as a free live stream.
The 36-team league phase sees teams play eight games against different opponents in a joint group. The qualifiers are still taking place, but we will soon learn which teams will battle in the revamped competition.
The draw will involve the 36 clubs separated into four pots based on their UEFA coefficients. Teams will be drawn against two teams from each pot, playing one team from each pot home and away, four home and four away games in total.
Pot 1: Real Madrid, Manchester City, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, Inter Milan, Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig, Barcelona
Pot 2: Bayer Leverkusen, Atletico Madrid, Atalanta, Juventus, Benfica, Arsenal, Club Brugge, Shakhtar Donetsk, AC Milan
Pot 3: Feyenoord, Sporting CP, PSV Eindhoven, Celtic, Five TBD
Pot 4: AS Monaco, Aston Villa, Bologna, Girona, Stuttgart, Sturm Graz, Brest, Two TBD