(Glasgow) Glasgow Rangers defied European soccer authorities on Wednesday night by broadcasting the God Save the King before their Champions League match, lost 3-0 to Napoli.
Posted at 4:31 p.m.
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, UEFA allowing 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.
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 Kingin reference to the new King Charles III.
In one of the stands of Ibrox, a tifo drew 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 expulsion of the American James Sands at the 55e minute, for a second yellow card, precipitated their defeat.
Matteo Politano on penalty in the 68theGiacomo Raspadori at the 85e and Tanguy Ndombélé in added time (90 + 1) scored the three victory goals, 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 the Stamford Bridge stadium, but sung spontaneously by part of the public.
The match ended in a disappointing 1-1 draw for the Blues.