In the Champions League on Wednesday night, the match was not just on the pitch for Glasgow Rangers. The club defied European football authorities by broadcasting the God Save the King before their meeting, lost 3-0 against Napoli.
The Scottish club had asked UEFA for permission to modify the C1 protocol to be able to broadcast the British anthem before kick-off at Ibrox. The request was rejected, the European association authorizing only a minute of silence and the wearing of black armbands in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II, who died last Thursday in her Scottish castle of Balmoral.
A tifo in tribute to Elizabeth II
But the Rangers, historically close to the royal family, played the anthem after this minute of silence. An initiative likely to earn the club a sanction from UEFA.
Scottish players and spectators combined their voices to sing along to the new version of the UK anthem, in which God save the Queen has been changed to God save the King, in reference to the new King Charles III. In one of the stands of Ibrox, a tifo has also drawn the silhouette of the head of the queen on a background of Union Jack, the flag of the United Kingdom.
On the ground, the Rangers hardly resisted the Neapolitans for more than an hour. The dismissal of American James Sands in the 55th minute, for a second yellow card, precipitated their defeat. Matteo Politano from the penalty spot in the 68th minute, Giacomo Raspadori in the 85th minute and Tanguy Ndombélé in added time (90+1) scored the three goals for the victory, Napoli’s second in two days. For Rangers, on the other hand, who are returning to the C1 after twelve years of absence, it is the second rout in two games, after the inaugural 4-0 in Amsterdam against Ajax.
In London, where Chelsea received Salzburg, the God save the King was not shown in Stamford Bridge stadium but sung spontaneously by part of the public. The match ended in a disappointing 1-1 draw for the Blues.