Rangers fans sing God Save the King in defiance of UEFA

'God Save the King' was sung before Rangers' UEFA Champions League match against Napoli at Ibrox Stadium on Wednesday night despite being banned by UEFA.

The Scottish side, who went on to lose the game 3-0, had requested to play the national anthem before kick-off as a mark of respect for the late Queen Elizabeth II, but it was rejected by the European football’s governing body.

According to UEFA, the request was denied "on the basis of maintaining a consistent pre-match ceremony with a subdued atmosphere and without any celebratory activities across all UK venues to show respect".

However, after observing a minute's silence, the Rangers fans belted out the national anthem.

In London, Chelsea fans also disregarded the ruling from UEFA as they sang it out loud before their Champions League encounter with RB Salzburg kicked off, while Manchester City observed the protocol during their 2-1 win against Borussia Dortmund.

God Save the King sang at Ibrox tonight ahead of @ChampionsLeague clash between @RangersFC & @en_sscnapoli #QueenElizabethIIMemorial pic.twitter.com/87kTJona8f

— Keith Downie (@SkySports_Keith) September 14, 2022