Be it online games at the Red Flush Casino or consecutive sets of tennis, we love the adrenaline rush associated with sports. But football was, is and will remain one of the greatest games ever invented by mankind. Till today, our loyalty and dedication to our respective teams and favourite players remain unmatched. The various tournaments happening across the world uphold our love for the sport and sportsmanship in general.
When the worlds of music and football clash to create a beautiful harmony, it always turns out to be wonderful. So when UEFA’s anthem first reached the ears of ardent football aficionados, it resonated across the community. The spine-tingling music gave goose bumps to many and is now unanimously regarded as a football anthem.
You can hear this song before the kick-off, be it at the stadium or on the television screen. Even the players are in love with it as is proved by Gareth Bale’s assertion that the song influenced him to play Champions League football.
What you need to know about the song?
British composer, Tony Britten is the one who should be thanked for creating the theme tune of the Champions League. He hails from Croydon which is located in south London and graduated from the Royal College of Music. For this particular piece, he took inspiration from Zadok The Priest.
George Frederic Handel wrote Zadok The Priest to mark the occasion of King George II being coronated in 1727. According to Britten, the rising string phase is written in a tune that he composed, but the song has a ‘Handelian feel to it’. While Britten does not have ownership rights over the song, he is entitled to receive royalties from the UEFA whenever the song is played.
Written in 1992, the anthem does not have a particular name. It is simply known as the Champions League Anthem. UEFA had the song composed with special commissions after made certain changes to the European Cup. They wanted a theme tune for their Championship tournament.
How it came about?
According to Britten, UEFA has asked him specifically to write something that would be suitable for becoming an anthem. At that time, classical music was rising in popularity because of The Three Tenors at the World Cup in Italy. The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra performs the instrumental background of the song while the Academy of Saint Martin in the Fields chorus sings the lyrics. The three official languages of UEFA- English, French and German- have all been used in the lyrics of the song.
There is no way to purchase this song. Moreover, you cannot even download it from illegal sources. The UEFA has kept this powerful audio-branding tool safe from the commercial world, which is actually a smart marketing move. Today, everybody knows it and associates it with football.
No matter how much you love collecting English Premier League little known facts, stats & trivia or watching the matches, the UEFA Champions League and its anthem will always hold a special place in your heart and you know it.
You can go for an online gaming experience to the Red Flush Casino, but you will come back to the football stadium over and over again.
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