Liverpool supporters have never been bashful in expressing their opinions and their champions league opener against Atletiko madrid made it clear again. Virgil van Dijk headed the goal in stoppage time to make Anfield explode but the actual fireworks of the game were seen earlier, the undisguised chorus of boos directed at the Champions League anthem. What should be a pompous introduction to Europe’s biggest stage has instead become a protest anthem in itself.
Liverpool Fans and the Paris Scars That Won’t Fade
The root of this ritual lies in Paris 2022, a night UEFA would love to sweep under the rug but Liverpool fans won’t allow. The last match with Real Madrid proved to be a debacle: fans trapped outside the Stade de France, tear gas in the air, and the embarrassing effort of UEFA to place the blame on people coming late to the stadium. The supporters were later cleared by an independent review in condemnation of how UEFA handled the whole issue and apologies as we know were not enough to blot out scars as history erases.
Liverpool Fans See the Anthem as a Symbol
To the casual observer, booing a song may look petty. But for Liverpool fans, it’s a visceral statement: accountability matters. When UEFA’s shiny anthem rings out, it doesn’t represent glory—it represents negligence. The booing has now stretched across European nights in 2023 and 2024, so loud it drowns out the trumpets. Forget pomp, this is protest in surround sound.
Author’s Take: Why the Booing Matters
Here’s my view: it’s more than tradition, it’s muscle memory. Liverpool’s supporters live with Hillsborough in their DNA—a tragedy born from official negligence. Paris reawakened that trauma. So, when Anfield boos, it’s not petulance, it’s persistence. They’re saying, “We remember. And you don’t get to move on just because it’s convenient.” Honestly? I find that both haunting and admirable. It keeps UEFA accountable, one boo at a time.
Liverpool Fans Will Carry This Torch
The side of Arne Slot is preparing to face Everton and a difficult visit to Galatasaray but the music which characterizes them off the field is not the screams of You Shall Never Walk Alone. It is that great booing–a warning that football is no more than a memory game.
As featured on Walkon.com
