Explained: Why is the Champions League music being played at the King Charles Coronation?

The Champions League music will play a role in the Coronation of King Charles III on Saturday.

Celebrities and dignitaries are descending on Westminster Abbey to witness the first ceremony of its kind since 1953, when the late Queen Elizabeth II was crowned.

On Saturday, football fans may be surprised to hear the Champions League anthem, or as it's otherwise known, Zadok the Priest by Handel. GOAL can explain why the music will be used.

Why are the Royal Family using Zadok the Priest?

Handel composed Zadok the Priest in the 1700s, so it was not initially designed to accompany the Champions League!

Zadok the Priest was written to tie in with the coronation of George II in 1727, and has been played at every Coronation since.

Of course, this is the first such ceremony since the Champions League's inception, hence the crossover.

Is the music the same as the Champions League anthem?

Sort of.

There are no lyrics in Handel's initial composition, with the lyrics, including 'the champions', written by Tony Britten in 1992.

He explained to the BBC in 2020: "Some say the tune is nicked from Handel but it's not. It's just the first writing string phrase and the rest is me."

As one would expect, the version with no lyrics will be played at the King's Coronation.

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Has football been affected by the Coronation?

Yes.

There is no early kick-off on Saturday in the UK, so no games clash with the ceremony, but there are four games at 3pm, including Manchester City's clash with Leeds, which is being televised in a break from the norm, and one at 5:30pm, with Liverpool facing Brentford at Anfield.

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The FA has urged clubs to play the national anthem at all games, to mark the occasion, much to the chagrin of the Reds, with their fans having previously booed the anthem.