Why ‘Iconic’ UCL Anthem Means A lot To Arsenal

Jorginho explains why the Champions League’s well-known anthem means so much as Arsenal returns to the competition for the first time since 2016–17.

The Gunners, who spent the whole of the season competing for the league title, finally forced their way back into the top four of the Premier League last season, and are now making their first appearance on the most prestigious European stages in more than six years.

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Declan Rice, Leandro Trossard, and Bukayo Saka found it difficult to suppress their smiles when they heard “the Champiooooooons” playing throughout Emirates Stadium on September 1 before a matchup with PSV. Jorginho explained to the club’s official website why that song still matters to seasoned international performers: “It’s iconic, it’s so remarkable. It was stuck in our heads when we were kids so you just kind of go back to your childhood when you listen to it. It seems so far away when you’re a kid to play in, and that’s why I think it’s really special. I was in Brazil as a little kid watching every single game of the Champions League, watching Barcelona, Milan and Arsenal with the ball, and the music. It’s a competition the whole world stops to watch, so to be here now, we are living our dreams. I could see a lot of excitement for the PSV game and I could feel the emotional side of it as well. They were excited to hear the music, and even in training when we trained for the first time with the Champions League ball. They couldn’t wait any more. It was nice to see the boys achieving these dreams in their lives. It’s always amazing to see and I’m really pleased that I was there with them.”

Jorginho has previously played in the Champions League with Napoli and Chelsea, winning the competition’s top honour while playing at Stamford Bridge in 2021. Regarding realising a childhood fantasy, he added: “When you hold that trophy, so, so many things are going through your head. It’s impossible to explain, it’s just an amazing feeling. That’s living your actual dream, going back to when you were a child and watching your idols playing and winning.”

After a shocking 2-1 loss to Lens in their most recent Group B match, Arsenal will be back in action on Tuesday when they travel to Sevilla. They began their quest for continental supremacy with a smashing 4-0 triumph against PSV.