(Left) PSG fans light up the fireworks in the stands ahead of the match on Tuesday night in Parc des Princes and (right) Celtic players line up with their fans displaying their tifo in the background ahead of the Real Madrid game. (Photos: @idextratime and @BBCMOTD on Twitter) For European football fans, the UEFA Champions League anthem is the perfect adrenaline rush. As soon as it hits in the stadium, the mood changes. As the Academy Award winning music composer, Hans Zimmer once said, “It’s the iconic nature of it. When the Champions League games are on, suddenly the world stops. Doesn’t matter which team you support, there is something that connects everybody and that is the theme (song).”
It isn’t just the players but Champions League nights also bring out the best from the fans, who do everything to pump their players up for the occasion.
The opening night of the 2022/23 season was no different as the Paris Saint Germain and Celtic FC fans upped the fandom ante with their pyro shows at Parc des Princes and Celtic Park respectively.
With their team facing Juventus in their opening match of the Champions League season, the PSG ultras served up a red pyro show on the stand left to the player entrance tunnel.
Le meilleur public de France est prêt à se mettre en mode LDC🔥🔴🔵
— Miloud KOTBI (@miloudkotbi) September 6, 2022
Safe to say the fireworks in the stands helped spark the fireworks on the pitch as PSG sealed a 2-1 win over their Italian competitors, courtesy of a Kylian Mbappe double.
For Celtic, the challenge was even bigger. Which team would want to face the defending champions from only three months ago in their opening tie of the season? But the Celtic fans and their stadia has been known to reach the loudest decibels come the big match, and no less was expected of this.
In the press conference before the tie, when asked if he wanted the fans to lower their expectations, Celtic’s manager Ange Postecoglou replied, “I’m glad our supporters are buzzing about it. That’s what we love about the game. Of course my job is to stay even-tempered, so in terms of my expectations and what I am communicating to the players as a group, is what we need to do to keep progressing. That’s a different story.”
He further added, “But I want our supporters to dream of big games and big wins and winning things. That’s the role of us as a football club. I’m sure they get enough of their bubble bursting in their normal lives on a daily basis.”
The roar at Celtic Park when the Champions League anthem hits >pic.twitter.com/NvVXmXHpmm
— Jack Kenmare (@jackkenmare_) September 6, 2022
And dream big they did. The Celtic FC fans responded to the first Champions League anthem sounds of the season with loud roars and a pyro show of their own.
While the home team did give the 14 time European Champions a major scare in the first half, the latter took three points home courtesy of three second half goals. But even the champions were all praise for the opposition fans and their reception. Simply put in three words by the Madrid midfielder, Toni Kroos post match on Spanish TV, “Spectacular atmosphere here”.