England’s iconic Three Lions football anthem has been nicked by the Germans.
Music data shows supporters from Euro 2024’s host nation have fallen in love with the song Three Lions’ fans have been singing at tournaments for 28 years.
Almost a third of fans downloading the ‘football’s coming home’ classic are German, according to music streaming service Deezer.
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The theft of such a national treasure could result in a right old sing-song ding-dong on the terraces if the two teams meet – akin to the towels-on-sunbeds skirmishes tourists from the rival nations have been fighting across Europe for years.
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A Deezer spokesman said: “Interestingly England isn’t the only country that has caught the bug for English football songs.
“Arguably England’s greatest rivals Germany have developed a penchant for Three Lions, with German Deezer subscribers accounting for 30% of all global streams compared to 46% for UK subscribers.’’
TV comics Frank Skinner, 67, and David Baddiel, 60, teamed up with Ian Broudie of The Lightning Seeds to create the terrace tune for Euro 96 – which ended in a heartbreaking semi-final penalty shootout defeat to Germany.
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The song has provided the soundtrack to the LIons’ tournament efforts ever since – topping the UK singles charts on four separate occasions.
Its lyrics list a string of iconic moments in English football history and name-check legends Bobby Moore, Bobby Charlton, Nobby Stiles and Gordon Banks who played in the Lions’ only major tournament victory – the 1966 World Cup final against Germany.
“That tackle by Moore’ refers to Bobby’s historic challenge on Brazilian ace Jairzinho at the 1970 World Cup.
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“When Lineker scored’ marks Gary’s semi-final goal in the 1990 World Cup – again against the Germans.
‘Bobby belting the ball’ is about Charlton’s wonder goal against Mexico in the 1966 World Cup finals.
While ‘Nobby dancing’ refers to Stiles pirouetting round with the Jules Rimet Trophy after England’s 4-2 victory over the Germans in ‘66.
(Image: PA)
But that has not stopped the Germans swiping it.
When England faced Germany in the Euro 96 semi-finals manager Jurgen Klinsmann said his team’s supporters were singing it on the way to the stadium.
The German team later sang it as they paraded the trophy in Frankfurt.
The single even reached No49 in the German charts.
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Songwriter Broudie, 65, said he was shocked to hear the Germans singing it after they beat England at Euro 96.
Though a hit with both sets of fans Broudie claims the Football Association never thanked him for it and did not like it because the lyrics focus on supporters’ heartache rather than the team’s bid for glory.
The FA has denied it stating it had asked both football governing bodies FIFA and UEFA to play the anthem as one of the team’s official fan songs inside stadiums at several World Cups and European Championships.
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Research has shown it remains the England fans’ No1 football song at Euro 2024 featuring on 48% of Lions’ supporters playlists.
Deezer reported a 356% increase in streams on the opening day of the tournament – followed by Atomic Kitten’s `Southgate You’re the One’ anΩd James Corden and Dizzee Rascal’s `Shout for England’.
England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford’s wife Megan was spotted singing it loudly in the stadium ahead of the Lions’ 1-1 group match draw against Denmark.