Meet the man who wrote the UEFA Champions League anthem

The UEFA Champions League anthem has become the most iconic piece of music in football. It was adapted from George Frideric Handel's Zadok The Priest by Tony Britten, who told us about the creative process and reflected on watching its rise in popularity.
SUBSCRIBE to JOE: bit.ly/SUBtoJOE
FOLLOW JOE:
► Twitter - / joe_co_uk
► Facebook - / www.joe.co.uk
► Instagram - / joe_co_uk
► Snapchat - JOEcouk
FOLLOW FOOTBALL JOE:
► Twitter - / footballjoe
► Instagram - / footballjoe

[@adeal2buy354]

so this man is responsible for my goosebumps every time

[@redwhites3651]

This guy deserves the champions league trophy 🏆

[@itsme2982]

yes,i agree

[@haphong8785]

no athletico under simeone needs at least one

[@JayTechZM]

@I’m no Simp 🤣💀💀

[@filippodaragona.4749]

right, but it makes no sense the song is in english french and german and not in italian and spansh. French football sucks honestly, and bundesliga in Bayern only. The anthem should be change

[@robloxhighlights1004]

@@filippodaragona.4749 The lyrics are the official languages of UEFA

[@njorogefred150]

Credit to him and to Handel too! Because of his idea 300 years ago, this masterpiece was born.

[@Pogdoa66]

one of the people who made football more amazing and delicious 🤤😋

[@Vzvzvzvzvz]

Thank you good Sir. As a football fan this song is with me since my childhood. The feeling I had as a young boy is still with me if I hear the song before a game. The same feeling, every time. I am 32 now

[@Jordy_NL]

That's great man! I can totally relate.

[@samuelchukwunyere3469]

Same here ❤

[@thenorseguy2495]

Hearing his anthem at their own teams home ground are something every football fans dream of. Hearing this anthem always give me goosebumps

[@azel3799]

I get goosebumps everytime I hear it.

[@briansiame2093]

This Man is a genius, He,s added beauty to the world of football. The saw is always the hit. To be Honest I love this song

[@Ajs_1988]

I love this bloke, never met him, never even heard of him until now .. but I love him

[@assumiheka8783]

The MAN. The LEGEND. TAKE A BOW!

[@London755]

If Handel were alive, he'd have a pretty strong legal claim for plagiarism.

[@mufcoasis1610]

Incredible piece of music, so iconic, spine chilling 🎶🎶⚽⚽🎶🎶⚽⚽🎼🎼⚽⚽

[@tdasilva2261]

They spelt ‘the best song in sport’ wrong

[@Charlotte-ye1vb]

Man you're my hero

[@souromukherjee8425]

Thank you for such a beautiful anthem

[@kamelbeo6752]

Is really done a great job because this song go through when you listening to it I'm sure the player got more motivation

[@SplinterAce]

the fact this video only got 11k views is so depressing to me

[@22alfatih]

Please let make this vid zero dislike for our tribute to the greatness of football.

[@moluther2826]

Not likely. He had a go at Brexit and Man City fans, bound to trigger some people.

[@peterturner9941]

Zadok the priest by Handel is great music too!

[@jermaineloreaux5220]

And all the people rejoicee, rejoicee, rejoice and sayyy 'God Save the King, Long Live the King, May the King Live Forever'...

[@bobsmith3291]

It’s the coronation of the lizards song

[@ebob4177]

Probably the best song ever.

[@Jimmy-11UYP]

Legend!!!

[@ezeokaforchukwuka8473]

Great minds ❤️

[@Colgan1]

Wait for the Kings Coronation and the music guy messes up and plays the Champions League song and not Zodak the Priest

[@KNG_ERHM_MH]

Great video guys

[@hambaallah1312]

After a year and now here am I

[@adhityawiratama]

magical

[@AlisonBryen]

I mean, Handel did most of the legwork to be honest...

[@D4aniB]

"This is the only thing that i steal". Yeah, right... Poor Haendel

[@JohnIkeokwu-xf4ub]

Genius, you did the best, the finest,I love Europe.

[@AngelMartinez-ut1lm]

The 🐐

[@emmanuelofoma1022]

I keep watching

[@jilalim1300]

Genius

[@akandindaandrew8795]

He indeed deserves a ballon d'or

[@MichaelMumba-gp2np]

Its the best song av ever heard

[@chijiokechukwu3600]

Is very great

[@enriquefernandez4689]

Zadok the priest- Hendel

[@gg05]

a theme for a whole europe contest, sounds like beethoven would`ve been a nice candidate to do this

[@deldia]

Clearly a talented guy but he clearly lifted more than the first 2 arpeggios. He also took the way the choral parts come in.

[@sherifmohamed8476]

❤️❤️

[@aayyeefsttrr11]

🎶 We allll want to eaaaat, lasaaaagnaaaaa! 🎶

[@franr.3691]

Thanks to HÄNDEL

[@andersonledesma4910]

Well I am not a big fan of football but, God this song is amazing.

[@estandart2649]

goat

[@khanage360]

It's this guys fault on to why I love the anthem so much

[@rebrone360]

Ey this guy deserves a Grammy Uefa champion league trophy 😮😂

[@alexl7245]

Ironically, all languages included in the athem but no the one of the country and team which has won the majority of the titles so far.

[@collodejesus9901]

Mr goosebumps

[@zuzuzuko3947]

Who dare to give a dislike!!

[@bagtea]

prolly an Arsenal fan

[@kingadjust6201]

@@bagtea or a Manchester City fan 🤣

[@MrMo12349]

You're so genius sir👌. This anthem is the best beside Russian anthem. Your anthem sir makes everyone shivers .it makes you feel like the world has cami to a stand still sir.

[@no1nova226]

Da

[@rafaelpera1027]

Come to brazil. Dentists are cheap here. Nice music.

[@user-om4fo3vg3u]

He's too old to care about his teeth !

[@MCPhatman]

I took Zardok the priest the end.

[@tooshlong]

When you vote Remain cos music is nice 😂

[@josephmashburn4451]

Dude you didn’t write Handels Zadok the Priest. Are we in an alternate universe?

[@diligenceeke3023]

Listen again! He clearly told you he took the intro part from ZADOK the priest. And he even used the word "stole". Yet, he wrote a beautiful piece of music!

[@stefanielia]

He took most of it :) @@diligenceeke3023

[@david3atista]

the dislikes are from barcelona fans

[@ybnomarirey457]

After winning it I guess as city fans we will think about not booing it😂😂😂

[@mhlengimtshali2136]

That's why you are Just a oil Money team.. no passion for football

[@theranpan_]

Well yeah city fans still boo it

[@2hiperkemanci]

He cheated. Most of the song was taken from Handel's Zadok the Priest. Not the whole piece but the most striking motivic idea. He took the main quotation from the beginning then he slightly changed the instrumentation adding short trumpet solos and final chord to keep the anthem short. So, everything is the same as Handel's piece except for the ending and different lyrics. Thank you Handel.

[@jacobg9478]

It's called a sample my guy

[@lweendomoonojr.1889]

Nobody cares!!

[@robloxhighlights1004]

Well the song is Public domain cuz Handel died in 1759 70 years from then is 1829 so it is Public Domain and period.

[@AlisonBryen]

​@@lweendomoonojr.1889 I CARE.

[@iconicshrubbery]

He got the Handle on Handel.

[@skittlegod4801]

First

[@Dubrum]

🥇

[@markpalmer8083]

He's not as good as Handel. Very few people have been.

[@user-ic4oh4lt5r]

He copied Zadok the priest. So what?

[@okformadrid]

Thank you sir

[@tooshlong]

Footy had never become "pretty bloody horrible". The people who think this are the people who see the ESL as exactly down their street

[@flaya11]

They were probably referring to the situation back then around football

[@tooshlong]

@@flaya11 "THE SITUATION" around footy was that as a 16 year old you could go down to Old Trafford with your mates and watch your club for a fiver. Where, half the squad were academy, local lads and were you didn't have to put up with international parasites destabilisng your club from social media.

[@flaya11]

@@tooshlong And hooliganism

[@tooshlong]

@@flaya11 Hooligans fought amongst themselves and didn't bother me or anyone else. Every tragedy in the 80s was consequence of stampeding due to poor ticketing processes. So thats the 1 good thing. Set against the 1000s of tons of shite.

[@HarvesterYT]

@@tooshlong They did obviously bother 'anyone else'. Perhaps not you specifically, but they gave the game a terrible reputation, and harmed English football immensely after Heysel. Take the rose tinted glasses off.