Advertisement

Midfielder calls on France football fans to sing English anthem

Blaise Matuidi, pictured in May 2017, is encouraging fans to sing the English national anthem at the next friendly Paris-England match as a show of solidarity
Blaise Matuidi, pictured in May 2017, is encouraging fans to sing the English national anthem at the next friendly Paris-England match as a show of solidarity
"I encourage those who will be at the stadium -- if the English anthem is sung, everyone should join in," said the 30-year-old Paris Saint-Germain star.
Advertisement

France midfielder

Advertisement

Matuidi's call on home fans attending the game at the Stade de France to sing along with 'God Save the Queen' comes after the attacks in England over the last month.

Eight people were killed in an attack in London last weekend, while a suicide bombing in Manchester on May 22 left 22 people dead after an Ariana Grande concert.

Tuesday's end-of-season friendly will be the first meeting of the countries since November 2015, when they clashed at Wembley in the aftermath of a wave of attacks in Paris.

On that occasion, the English crowd had joined in the singing of the French anthem 'La Marseillaise' in tribute to the 130 people killed in the French capital days earlier.

Advertisement

Matuidi added: "That country deserves it, especially with everything that has happened recently. It would be a pleasure. It would be our way of supporting them after all that has gone on."

Advertisement