La Marseillaise to Usher in Premier League Matches
.as El Classico to hold minute of silence
The French national anthem - La Marseillaise-will be played before this weekend’s Premier League matches.
A choral version will be played after the coin toss, with players from both teams coming together with match officials in the centre circle.
Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore described it as an act of “solidarity and remembrance” after the Paris attacks in which 129 people died.
La Marseillaise was sung before England’ s win over France on Tuesday.
There are 72 French players currently in the Premier League.
“Given how close we are, as well as the long-standing relationship that exists between the Premier League and France, playing La Marseillaise as an act of solidarity and remembrance is the right thing to do ,” said Scud a more.
Chelsea have announced their players will wear black armbands incorporating the French flag during their home game with Norwich City on Saturday (15:00 BST).
The Premier League has briefed each club on the current threat alert and existing security guidance.
In Spain, players and spectators at tomorrow’smammothclashbetween Real Madrid and Barcelona in the Spanish capital will hold a minute of silence for victims of the Paris attacks, the Spanish football league said yesterday.
The so-called El Clasico that pits the two fiercely rival teams against each other attracts on average a global television audience of some 500 million – the world’s most watched club match.
In a statement, La Liga called for the minute of silence “in memory of the victims” at the start of Saturday’s match in the 81 000-strong Madrid stadium.
It has also asked both clubs to broadcast the hashtag #TodosSomosFrancia (“We are all France”) during the moment of silence on screens in the stadium.
“In this way, professional football joins hands with international expressions of condolences and expresses its solidarity with the families and friends of victims.”
The match kicks off at 1815 local time (1715GMT) with “draconian security measures”, Interior Minister JorgeFernandezDiazsaidWednesday, after two high-profile international friendlieswerepostponedinthewake of the Paris attacks that left 129 dead and over 350 injured.