A technical glitch led to an unexpected mix-up before Aston Villa’s Champions League quarter-final second leg against Paris Saint-Germain, as the Europa League anthem was mistakenly played over the PA system at Villa Park.
The error occurred during the pre-match lineup but was quickly corrected, with the Champions League anthem being played shortly thereafter.
Club and UEFA sources confirmed that the malfunction stemmed from an automated system crash, which required manual intervention to switch to the correct anthem.
The unusual incident didn’t go unnoticed by players, as Villa defender Ezri Konsa facepalmed while teammate Youri Tielemans stifled a laugh. On the PSG side, Fabian Ruiz and Ousmane Dembele exchanged bemused looks.
Despite the mix-up, Villa are unlikely to face any sanctions, as UEFA regulations do not stipulate penalties for playing an incorrect anthem.
While UEFA provides the official anthems, it is the clubs’ responsibility to ensure they are played in accordance with protocol—walk-on music as the players emerge, followed by the Champions League anthem when they line up.
On the pitch, Unai Emery’s Villa mounted a spirited comeback from 2-0 down, winning the second leg 3-2. However, PSG held on to progress to the semi-finals with a 5-4 aggregate victory.
