Europa League anthem played by mistake before Villa-PSG in Champions League

By Canadian Press on April 15, 2025.

BIRMINGHAM, England (AP) — Call it being inexperienced in the Champions League.

There was confusion before kickoff in the second leg of the quarterfinal between Aston Villa and Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday when the anthem for the second-tier Europa League competition appeared to be played by mistake as players from both teams lined up.

A minute or so later, the more famous Champions League anthem was finally played at Villa Park — by which the players were almost ready for the kickoff. In the crowd was Prince William, the heir to the throne and a die-hard Villa fan.

This is Villa’s first season in the Champions League. The team previously played in Europe’s top competition in the 1982-83, as reigning champion when it was called the European Cup.

The pre-match error was followed by mistakes on the field as the hosts fell 2-0 behind to PSG by the 27th minute thanks to goals by full backs Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes. PSG had a 3-1 advantage from the first leg.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

The Associated Press