Fans joke Chelsea prepares for next season as Champions League song is NOT playing ahead of their clash with Real Madrid at Stamford Bridge
- The traditional anthem did not play when the players lined up for kick-off
- Chelsea play against Real Madrid at Stamford Bridge looking to go 2-0 down
- Fans joked that the club was preparing for next season and didn’t play it
Fans have joked that Chelsea are preparing for next season after the Champions League anthem failed to play ahead of their quarter-final tie with Real Madrid.
The players lined up for kick-off, although the usual Champions League song, an adaptation of Handel’s Zadok the Priest from the Coronation Anthems, was not played.
The likes of Kai Havertz, Luka Modric and Thiago Silva stood there with a look of bewilderment on their faces when BT Sport commentator Darren Fletcher joked that someone in the ground hadn’t turned on the loudspeakers.
Supporters on social media saw the funny side of the strange incident, joking that the club was preparing for next season. They are currently 11th in the Premier League, 17 points off the top four.
The Champions League anthem could not be played ahead of Chelsea’s clash with Real Madrid
As the teams lined up, fans on social media complained about the lack of an anthem
“No CL song has been played, Chelsea are preparing for next year it seems,” one supporter wrote.
“No Champions League song at Stamford Bridge…it’s like they know they’ll never hear it again,” another offered.
Chelsea has already lost the Champions League song? Guys, you’re still in the contest right now, don’t throw away the CD just yet,” another user offered.
Echoing that sentiment, another user wrote, “They forgot to play the Champions League anthem because they know it’s over.”
The showdown with Real Madrid, already 2-0 down, is regarded by many in football as one of the most terrifying prospects.
The Spanish giants are the reigning European champions and have won a total of 14 times in the competition.
Real Madrid arrive at Chelsea with a 2-0 aggregate lead in search of their third successive semi-final
Referring to their superiority over many in Europe, one fan suggested the tactic was a ploy to “not wake the beast.”
‘No CL anthem at Stamford Bridge. Is this a tactic from Chelsea not to wake the beast,” they joked.
Another user wrote: “Chelsea are so broken they can’t even play the Champions League song properly in the stadium.”
“Chelsea are so confused that someone forgot to play the Champions League anthem before kick-off,” another user added.