Liverpool football supporters booed loudly during the national anthem before Sunday's cup final at Wembley.
Supporters of the Merseyside club have a tradition of disrespecting 'God Save the King' dating back to the 1980s, when the city of Liverpool was widely believed to have been abandoned by the British establishment. These feelings were reinforced by the reaction to the 1989 Hillsborough tragedy.
Chelsea supporters appeared to sing the national anthem with more enthusiasm than usual in response to Liverpool's jeers at Wembley.
In 2022, the practice of booing the national anthem caused a huge controversy when Liverpool fans took a similar action before the FA Cup final. At the time, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp defended his right to do so, saying the club's supporters were “fantastic people” and that he “wouldn't do something like that unless there's a reason.”
The national anthem is not normally played before Premier League matches, but Liverpool used the music before the game last year to commemorate King Charles' coronation. At this time, the national anthem was also met with loud boos.
Heckles over the phrase “God save the King” became even more virulent on Sunday following news that King Charles has cancer.
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