Surprising Twist: UCL Anthem Played at King Charles' Coronation - Here's Why!

Following the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, the playing of the Champions League anthem was discontinued for matches held in the UK. This is because the anthem has a deep-seated connection to the British monarchy

Viewers tuning in to watch the coronation of King Charles III might be taken aback to hear a familiar tune that is typically associated with the Champions League.

 Handel's "Zadok the Priest" served as the foundation for the Champions League anthem, with an adapted version created for the tournament's inauguration in 1992. Interestingly, the original composition has historical links to the British monarchy.

The piece "Zadok the Priest" was created in advance of the coronation ceremony for King George II in 1727, and has been performed at every subsequent coronation since then.

 This tradition will continue when Charles III is crowned king, making it the first coronation to occur since the inception of the top-tier European football competition.

"It was a long time ago and to be honest it was just another job," Tony Britten, the man responsible for the Champions League theme, told The BBC in 2020. "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 of 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. The World Cup in Italy had just had the three tenors so classical music was all the range."

Britten's version has lyrics in multiple languages, using superlatives including "the greatest" and "the best". "Some say the tune is nicked from Handel but it's not," he added. "It's just the first writing string phrase and the rest is me."

As a result of the Coronation of King Charles III, the upcoming weekend's football schedule has also been affected. The King and Queen Consort are expected to arrive at Westminster Abbey at 10:53 am, with a service commencing at 11:00 am, and the coronation ceremony taking place at noon.

In light of this event, there will be no midday matches scheduled across any of the four highest tiers of English football, and only five Premier League fixtures will occur on Saturday.

 Interestingly, Manchester City's match against Leeds United at 3 pm will be broadcasted live on television, with the typical 3 pm blackout period lifted for this rare occasion.

Additionally, the final day of the Championship season has been rescheduled and will now take place on Bank Holiday Monday. The last set of games for League Two will also occur on the same day, while League One's final round of matches will be held on Sunday.

Earlier this season, several matches across the English football league system were postponed following the passing of Queen Elizabeth II. These games were subsequently rescheduled for later in the season, with many teams playing their postponed September fixtures during the latter half of the campaign.