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Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
People are only just realising the lyrics to the Champions League theme tune
PSG and Inter Milan will contest the 2025 Champions League final on Saturday night, and the competition's iconic theme tune will once again take centre stage before the match No Champions League match would be complete without a spine-tingling rendition of the competition's anthem, and this year's final will be no different. Out of the 36 teams that began the latest renewal of the tournament, only two remain. This campaign was the first to incorporate a new league phase system. Instead of the traditional four-team groups, each side was pitted against eight different opponents. After this stage was completed, Arne Slot and Liverpool topped the table, losing just a single match. Mikel Arteta's Arsenal progressed to the round of 16 in third, as would Aston Villa in eighth. An out-of-sorts Manchester City, however, needed an extra play-off tie before they'd hopefully join the top eight, but they came unstuck at the hands of Real Madrid. Paris Saint-Germain then sent Liverpool packing before besting Unai Emery's men in the quarter-final stage. The Gunners would face them in the final four, having put Los Blancos out, though they, too, became victims of Les Parisiens' lightning forward line. With PSG in the final, the other side of the bracket saw Inter progress, as they beat Feyenoord, Bayern Munich and Barcelona to reach the showpiece finale. The two giants will soon face off, with the competition's anthem echoing around the stadium just before kick-off. But, have you ever wondered what the actual lyrics are to one of sport's most renowned songs? Mirror Football takes a look at the song itself, which is often sung – at least, in part – by the players lining up on the pitch before the game. The lyrics are as follows, sung in UEFA's three official languages, English, French and German: "Ce sont les meilleures équipes [They are the best teams]. Es sind die allerbesten Mannschaften [They are the best teams]. The main event. Die Meister [The masters]. Die Besten [The best]. Les grandes équipes [The great teams]. The champions! "Une grande réunion [A big meeting]. Eine grosse sportliche Veranstaltung [A great sporting event]. The main event. Die Meister. Die Besten. Les grandes équipes. The champions! "Ils sont les meilleurs [They are the best]. Sie sind die Besten [They are the best]. These are the champions. Die Meister. Die Besten. Les grandes équipes. The champions!" The anthem was composed by Tony Britten, a graduate of the Royal College of Music, in 1991. It is set in the style of 18th-century musician George Frederic Handel and adapted from his 'Zadok the Priest.' It was recorded by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, based in London, in 1992 and sung by the Academy of Saint Martin in the Fields Chorus. The full-length anthem is roughly three minutes long, but the orchestral version is played before matches. It has become synonymous with a big European night, and was commissioned as part of a rebrand that wished to galvanise the newly formed Champions League. "It was a long time ago, and to be honest, it was just another job," Britten told the BBC in 2020, recalling the moment he was asked to create the now iconic anthem. "The old European Cup had become a very tired competition, and to UEFA's credit, they wanted to elevate the sport around the time when there was a lot of hooliganism right across Europe. "UEFA wanted this competition to be about the best of football rather than the worst, and said they must have an anthem. I remember asking: 'Where are the words?' And they said they didn't know, but that they wanted something in UEFA's three official languages. "So, I came up with a set of superlatives. 'The greatest', 'the best', 'the masters', 'the main event', 'the champions' and translated between those languages. It all came together in a matter of weeks, and the actual composing process was just a matter of days. "Although it was designed to be an important competition, there were only eight teams and no one thought it was going to be the mega competition that it has become now."
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Arsenal's striker dilemma answered as second major Gunners deal close
Mikel Arteta has led Arsenal to a third successive runner-up finish in the Premier League but will need to strengthen with the expectation that the Gunners' rivals also improve As Arsenal continue to wait on Martin Zubimendi, they've been busy in other departments. Midfield and attack appear to be the main priorities this summer, while there has already been movement when it comes to offloading players who have found themselves on the fringes of late. Kieran Tierney and Jorginho are leaving the club this summer, while Neto and Raheem Sterling will return to their parent clubs after loan spells. There will be a fair bit of summer investment, though, with co-chair Josh Kroenke pointing to the arrival of new sporting director Andrea Berta as a precursor to a busy few months. "We plan to invest to get behind winning and doing better next season," Kroenke wrote in the programme ahead of Arsenal's final home league game. "We're delighted we have our sporting director, Andrea, who will play an important role in this. "He is part of a unified and strong team, supported by the board, who are crystal clear on exactly what we need to do and the way in which we want to do it. The right way. The Arsenal way." It's not just about new signings, though, with Arsenal also attempting to tie key men down to new contracts. Here are Mirror Football 's latest lines from around the Emirates Stadium. Gabriel contract talks progressing Arsenal are in advanced talks over a new deal for Gabriel after the centre-back's impressive season. According to BBC Sport, an agreement for the Brazil international is drawing ever closer. Gabriel and fellow centre-back William Saliba are both under contract until 2027, and there is a sense the Gunners want to avoid the risk of either entering the final year and potentially leaving for nothing. Real Madrid are known to be fans of Saliba, while Gabriel's form last season served Arsenal well in the league and in Europe. The 27-year-old has played more than 200 times for Arsenal since joining from Lille back in 2020. He also made his senior Brazil debut while with the Gunners, and has played in 13 of his country's 14 World Cup qualifying games. Striker dilemma addressed Arsenal's search for a new striker has been whittled down to two men - Viktor Gyokeres and Benjamin Sesko. Mirror Football has weighed up the pros and cons of the pair, while Gyokeres' international manager has given his verdict on the Sweden star's next move. "No, of course not," Jon Dahl Tomasson told Swedish outlet Aftonbladet when asked if he had a preference over Gyokeres' next move. "Because then it would be blown up like this [stretches arms]. "There are definitely players changing clubs! We know that each year," he continued. "If you look at each player, you need to make the right choice. "You actually don't know if it's the right choice before you're at the club. You have family as well you have to have in mind. It's not easy, but at the end of the day, that's [football]." Ndicka deal off the table Evan Ndicka is set to stay at Roma despite interest from Arsenal. The French centre-back has impressed in Serie A despite a tumultuous season for his club, who cycled through three managers en route to a fifth-place finish. The Ivorian international, who joined the Giallorossi in 2023, didn't miss a minute in the league under Daniele De Rossi, Ivan Juric or Claudio Ranieri. He was also a regular as Roma reached the round of 16 in the Europa League eventually losing to Athletic Bilbao. According to Corriere dello Sport, though, he's going nowhere this summer. The publication names him as one of eight "immovable" stars set to stay in the Italian capital, with Gian Piero Gasperini expected to take over as manager next term.
Daily Mirror
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Rio Ferdinand's difficult TNT exit, dig back at critics, 'quitting UK with wife'
Mirror Football takes a look at Rio Ferdinand's time with TNT Sports along with both his and the broadcaster's future plans as the Man Utd hero prepares for his final game with the broadcaster Rio Ferdinand will leave his punditry and commentary role with TNT Sports after Saturday's Champions League final. The Manchester United legend announced that the clash between Inter Milan and Paris Saint-Germain in Munich will be his last involvement with the broadcaster after a 10-year partnership. Ferdinand revealed on social media that he had reluctantly come to the decision to 'step away' in an effort to escape his hectic schedule. As reported by Mirror Football, the former England centre-back remains on very good terms with TNT Sports, which is now expected to recruit a replacement. The 46-year-old said in a statement on social media: 'I have made the difficult decision to step away from TNT sports after the Champions league final. Since retiring from football it has been a privilege talking about the game I love for a decade for sports fans watching on BT Sport and TNT Sports. 'To everyone at TNT Sports, we have a brilliant end to the season to look forward to on Saturday and for now all focus will be on what I think could go down as one of the great European finals. The network continues to thrive with more rights than ever. I know I look forward to following its progress and the exciting future that lies ahead. 'For a football fan like me it's been a dream come true as I turn the page to the next chapter I carry with me countless memories.' With his time working on TNT Sports almost over, Mirror Football takes a look at what the future holds for both Ferdinand and the broadcaster. Future jobs and potential return The Daily Mail reported in March that TNT bosses (formerly BT Sport) offered Ferdinand a contract extension at the end of his current deal, which he decided not to sign. Having been a lead voice on TNT's coverage of Champions League football, Mirror Football understands there could still be opportunities for him to return as a special guest in the future, especially given that the broadcaster is set to have rights to the FA Cup from next season. Ferdinand was clear that he will now use his time to focus on other avenues, however, including his management firm 'New Era' and his blossoming production company which produces podcasts and interviews. The Mail also reported that Ferdinand could now look to move into US football (soccer) coverage with his management company recently signing an agreement with William Morris Endeavor (WME), who represent a number of American celebrities such as Wrexham co-owner Ryan Reynolds from their base in Beverly Hills. There is certainly a growing demand for Premier League greats offering their insights in the US. The likes of Jamie Carragher, Thierry Henry and Micah Richards have been highly successful on their CBS show, while NBC Sports have brought in Gary Neville this season. Ferdinand could be looking to follow suit, especially with the 2026 World Cup in the US, Canada and Mexico right on the horizon, which is set to bring a fresh audience to the sport in North America. 'Quitting' UK with wife Ferdinand's social media statement also indicated that his decision partly stemmed from wanting to spend more time with his family, having said: 'I'm excited about what the future holds, spending more time with my family focusing on Rio Ferdinand Presents and my other business interests.' It follows a report from The Sun last month which suggested Ferdinand and his wife, Kate, are looking to move to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. It was claimed that the couple have already started looking at properties and schools in Dubai, having reportedly decided that now is the right time for them and their family to relocate. They share two children together, while Kate is also a stepmother to the footballer's three children from his previous marriage to late wife Rebecca Ellison, who died from cancer in 2015. It was also claimed that they will travel back and forth to the UK to fulfil their work commitments, with Kate being the founder of podcast and online platform 'blended'. However, those reported plans to quit the UK altogether have not been publicly confirmed by Ferdinand. Hitting back at punditry criticism Ferdinand's outspoken nature as a pundit and vocal support for his former club, United, has sometimes drawn criticism from TNT Sports viewers. He was notably accused of bias by a Liverpool fan for his commentary during the Reds' Champions League clash with PSG in March, after he claimed Ibrahima Konate should have been shown a red card for a last-man challenge. In a video posted on X, a Liverpool fan account posted a video in which he said: "Look, football fans have had enough of the likes of Ferdinand and others. They've had enough of bitter commentators not having any neutrality in the job that they're doing. "You don't need people like Rio Ferdinand there commentating on a Liverpool game knowing that he doesn't want to see you do anything or win anything. He should be behind the English club. But as is always the case with these commentators, their previous bias creeps in. Let me just say this wholeheartedly, f*** you Rio." Ferdinand wasted no time in responding to the foul-mouthed critique, writing: "I wasn't on the gantry when Liverpool scored. Like in the 1st half where I left the commentary position to go back down Pitchside after 36 minutes. I was asked to do the same in the 2nd half prior to the goal. Thanks." He and fellow TNT Sports pundit Robbie Savage were also slammed for celebrating in excited fashion in the commentary box after Manchester United recently overturned a 4-2 deficit in extra time to beat Lyon 5-4 in the Europa League. Savage defended Ferdinand by saying: 'Some of the comments questioned whether Rio's contribution was impartial given his 455 appearances and 10 major trophies, including six titles, as a United player. But I defy anyone – whether you played the game for United or another club - not to be excited by such an extraordinary finish. " Football is an emotional game, and if co-commentators convey their passion when they are watching something sensational, they are only reflecting what viewers are feeling in their armchairs at home. Whether or not you approved of our antics caught on the TNT 'comms cam', surely you can't look at something so incredible and remain indifferent. "Rio is a United legend who knows the club, how it works and who calls the shots. He is not going to sit on his hands and sound like he's reading the shipping forecast when his old team goes from 4-2 down with six minutes left to a 5-4 win. It's not bias, it's human emotion." Ferdinand and other pundits also came under fire for their strong criticism of the England men's national team's performances at Euro 2024, where the Three Lions were lacklustre for much of the tournament despite reaching the final. He said on an episode of Rio Ferdinand Presents: 'If there's been below par performances, there's no way that you can expect anyone, us as pundits or fans, to sit there and go, 'Well done guys – pat on the back.' I played in tournaments where we didn't do well. I never expected anybody to then come out with positive comments. I don't think in any industry you work in, if you don't perform, that you'd expect anything other than criticism." Hospitalised before Champions League night Ferdinand was unfortunately unable to cover Arsenal 's Champions League visit to Paris Saint-Germain last month after being rushed to hospital. The Red Devils icon posted a selfie from a hospital bed on social media with the caption: 'Gutted to be missing the Semi-Finals this week on @tntsportsfootball! Wishing the team all the best — I'll be watching every minute from the iPad!" Having received plenty of well-wishes from fans, the former centre-back later revealed he had suffered from a nasty virus, which made him think he was even going to die. Speaking on Rio Ferdinand Presents, he said: "I had a mad virus. I thought lights were out at some point, I thought it was gonna happen. I thought I was minutes away from lights out, seriously. 'I was in my house, I was in my bed like this [pained expression] and I couldn't even open my eyes. Then, the headache I had… I don't get migraines or nothing else so I don't know what they're like. I thought my head was in a vice and my eyes were going to pop out. Then, I was being sick, projectile vomiting in the toilet, I got back to bed and I was having vertigo. I was holding onto the sheets, I didn't know where I was. It was crazy." He added: "I had to go to hospital and the doctor even said to me, 'Do you want an ambulance?' So that's when I knew. He went, 'We're going to get your brain scanned.' I thought it was a virus or a flu or something so when he mentioned brain scan and the ambulance, the panic was nuts. I went to hospital and I was in there for a few days. I couldn't even enjoy the hospital food. The soup and the ice cream normally does wonders." What lies ahead for TNT? Ferdinand's departure means he will miss an exciting period at TNT Sports. The broadcaster announced in March that it will continue to show live and exclusive Premier League matches for another four years, through to the 2028/29 season, which extends its relationship with the English top flight to 16 years. That will be alongside its other offerings, which includes the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Women's Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League and National League, domestic and European club rugby, MotoGP, NBA, UFC and boxing. BT Sport, as it was previously called, won exclusive rights to all live Champions League fixtures and highlights back in 2018. Their current European football deal, which runs from 2024 until 2027, means they still hold exclusive rights to show the Europa League and Europa Conference League. But for the Champions League, they are part of a trio of broadcasters for the first three seasons of the Champions League in its new format, alongside Amazon Prime and the BBC. Amazon Prime get one match on Tuesdays, while the BBC have a highlights show once each matchweek. Rio's replacement TNT Sports are likely to fill Ferdinand's position in the coming months. One potential option is Real Madrid legend Gareth Bale. The Welshman recently worked alongside Ferdinand for the Europa League final, impressing with his input as his former side Spurs defeated Ferdinand's beloved Manchester United.
Daily Mirror
6 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Newcastle named Premier League's worst polluter as new flight data shows problem
New data shows that 116 short-haul domestic flights were taken over the 2024/25 Premier League season, with Newcastle accounting for over 8,000 of the 40,000 air miles Newcastle United are the worst culprits in the Premier League's ongoing love affair with short-haul domestic flights. Mirror Football has written extensively on clubs chartering private jets to whisk players to and from away games, often unnecessarily when other more conventional forms of transport are available – and the problem is showing no signs of abating. The packed schedules of elite teams has led to an increasing desire to prioritise player recovery above all other factors, including the environment. It means that domestic flights have become commonplace in the Premier League, with costs not an issue and convenience favoured over more time-consuming transport like coaches or trains. New data compiled by environmental campaigners Carbon Boot shows that Newcastle have racked up by far the most air miles of any Premier League side across the 2024/25 season. The Magpies flew an estimated 8,031 miles during their domestic campaign, significantly more than the next worst culprits, Liverpool (3,268 miles) and Manchester City (3,060 miles). Other more remote clubs, like Bournemouth (2,420 miles), Southampton (1,938 miles) and Ipswich (1,931 miles) were also among the biggest fliers. Using publicly available flight data, researchers were able to find evidence that Newcastle flew at least one leg of all their 19 away matches over the Premier League season, with the vast majority of journeys made by air in both directions. By comparing flight times with available trains, they were able to show when such flights – which are seven times more polluting than trains – were unnecessary. Newcastle refused to comment when contacted by Mirror Football, but are understood to feel somewhat handcuffed by their location, which is around 100 miles away from the nearest other Premier League stadium. They were far from the only culpable team, with over 40,000 air miles flown in total. Shockingly, the data showed that there were 116 domestic flights altogether, 65 of which were under 35 minutes long in duration. Among those guilty of unnecessary flights were Aston Villa, who flew 27 minutes from Birmingham Airport to London Biggin Hill Airport to play Crystal Palace on February 25, despite there being regular and fast rail connections between the two cities. HAVE YOUR SAY! What do you make of the findings? Should clubs be more aware of their emissions? Comment below. Meanwhile, Man City flew to and from Newcastle on September 28, for 31 minutes and 27 minutes respectively, instead of taking the train which is only two hours and 20 minutes each way. One of the shortest flights saw Wolves take a 26-minute flight from Southampton to Birmingham Airport after playing Saints on March 15 to avoid a coach journey of three hours and 15 minutes. "It's disappointing to see so many Premier League clubs flying to matches when they don't need to,' said Michael Solomon Williams from the Campaign for Better Transport, one of the groups behind the research. 'Clubs need to be setting a better example when it comes to reducing their negative impact on the planet by swapping climate-busting flights for more sustainable train or coach travel.' The Premier League committed to the UN Sports for Climate Action Framework in November 2021, meaning it aims to cut its emissions in half by 2030 and achieve net-zero emissions by 2040. And there were some examples of teams taking their environmental commitments seriously. Carbon Boot estimates that Crystal Palace only flew 179 miles all season, while Brentford were the second greenest club on 550 miles. London clubs undoubtedly have an advantage, given there were seven teams based in the capital this season, and the city is better connected than most others. Peter Crisp from Fossil Free Football said: 'Fans know that a world with much more flooding and extreme heat is terrible for all levels of our game. It's time for clubs to end the flying, cut out avoidable pollution and show the real climate leadership needed to protect football's future. If fans can get up and down the country by road and rail, then so can the players.'
Daily Mirror
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Gary Lineker details unfortunate first suffered during Match of the Day farewell
The England legend brought an end to his Match of the Day career on Sunday night, having presented the BBC's flagship football show for 26 years, since replacing Des Lynam at the helm in 1999 Gary Lineker had to improvise during his final Match of the Day after he experienced an unfortunate first during his last show for the BBC, the outgoing presenter has revealed. The former England striker was always set to step down from the highlights show on Sunday, but his departure from the corporation was brought forward 12 months following a social media row. The 64-year-old held back tears during Sunday's programme and a day later he reflected on his final Match of the Day, which he had presented since 1999, and explained how he lost his script at the last moment. 'I was a bit emotional last night, but I'm fine, I'm good and thank you both for your very kind words,' Lineker said on his podcast The Rest is Football alongside Alan Shearer and Micah Richards, the pundits during his final show. 'I must say when they played the montage, obviously I knew something was coming but I didn't know what it was at all and I was struggling to keep myself, especially when I saw my boys. 'Thankfully that wasn't the last clip because I had gone at that point and I needed time to get myself together and try to get through the end of the show. 'It's weird isn't it? I've presented it for 25, 26 years and I always finish with the Premier League table and a closing line, which again I did last night. But for the first time ever because of everything that was going on, I completely lost what we call the copy, which is basically the written form of what I read out over the tables. 'That is written by the subs, it needs to be accurate obviously for all the things, you can't make any mistakes and for the first time in 26 years I couldn't find it. And it wasn't there, so I just busk. 'There were a couple of tears, I was fighting it back a bit with my closing lines, but yeah, and big thank you actually to Richard Hughes, he is the (Match of the Day) editor. Rich is brilliant, he's the best in the business and getting that montage together was a brilliant thing.' Lineker's departure from the BBC follows a row after he shared a social media post about Zionism, which featured a depiction of a rat, historically an antisemitic insult. He issued an unreserved apology over the post, as it was confirmed he would leave his presenting role at the BBC early. Lineker had planned to stay on at the BBC and present live coverage of the FA Cup and 2026 World Cup before he acknowledged it was 'best for all concerned' he exited early. Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
