Why do Man City fans boo pre-match anthems?

The cacophony of boos that greet the Premier League and Champions League anthems before kick-off have now become a fixture at Etihad Stadium. Manchester City fans held up literal 'boos' during a Champions League game at Sevilla in 2015 The cacophony of boos that greet the Premier League and Champions League anthems before kick-off have now become a fixture at the Etihad Stadium. The jeers from Manchester City fans were turned up a notch against Ipswich last Saturday when the side played their first home game since being found guilty of breaching the Premier League's financial rules. "I can't remember a Premier League or Champions League home game where the anthems haven't been booed," City season-ticket holder Dave Wilson told BBC Sport.

The pre-match dissatisfaction towards top-flight chiefs can likely be traced back to February 2023, when the 115 charges for breaching the rules were first announced. Later that same year, Everton had 10 points – reduced to six on appeal – deducted after being found to have broken profit and sustainability rules. In their first game back after the sanction, Toffees fans displayed their ire at Goodison Park by loudly booing the league's pre-match anthem as well as holding up red cards with the word 'corrupt' printed underneath the Premier League logo. Though City supporters did not organise a