'Ruining football' - New Champions League anthem released by UEFA is hated by fans who say competition has 'lost its aura' and plead for old version to return

This year’s Champions League marks a significant shift in the tournament's structure, with UEFA implementing one of the most substantial changes in its history. The competition is moving away from the traditional group stage format that has been a staple since the tournament's inception in 1992-93. Instead, the tournament will now follow a new league phase with more matches than the erstwhile group stage.

However, it is not the format change that has fans up in arms. But UEFA's decision to alter the iconic Champions League anthem has been met with widespread criticism. The original anthem, known as "Champions League," is based on George Frideric Handel's "Zadok the Priest" and has been an integral part of the competition's identity for decades.

In the new television intro, UEFA has introduced a revamped version of the anthem, featuring some of the competition's top stars like Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappe, and Vinicius Jr. The revamped anthem has been met with widespread disapproval, with many fans expressing their disappointment and frustration online.

An X user, @rache16348, wrote: "I speak for everyone when I say we don't like this version. We want the old one back 😒".

Another user, @mxth1_, wrote: "Horrible. Lost its aura."

While one of them, @vickygrizi, wrote: "The beautiful game has died."

Whereas, @Fs_FTBL, opined: "This sounds like a fail comp song 😭".

While, @JehoFCB, wrote: "They’re ruining football."

As the controversy surrounding the new anthem continues to simmer, attention is now turning to the draw for the league phase of the 2024-25 Champions League. The draw is scheduled to take place at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco on Thursday, August 29, 2024. UEFA has confirmed that the event will begin at 5 pm BST (12 noon ET), and it is expected to draw significant interest as fans await the matchups in this new format.