Man City fans let their feelings be known during the CHampions League final in Istanbul.
Manchester City have become Champions League regulars since the fabulous Abu Dhabi based investment group, who bought the club in 2008, and turned them into one of the best sides in Europe. Some may argue, this Man City team are the gretaest British team ever.
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. Partly becasue it is a trophy that has eluded them and as such eternal greatness and also becasue they have a rocky relationship with Uefa.
So it is no surprise to 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-fc 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.
City have had a difficult relationship with the competition
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.
Expect boos from the blues
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.
This is arguabley the tipping point between City fans Uefa. Other clubs around Europe, mainly PSG, Barcelona and Madrid 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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The anthem is unpopular in the blue side of Manchester. But after tonights victory, not many CIty fans will remmebr the anthem, but instead will nurse hangovers and will be preparing jibes at the red part of Manchester.
