Out of our league? While there’s a huge responsibility behind it, you know us: we like to be challenged. How could we say no to something so epic?

The idea for the UEFA Women’s Champions League is to be new in everything they do, without following traditional UEFA approaches.

Also, with the football broadcast space growing increasingly competitive as new platforms emerge on the scene, there was an additional need to stand out from the crowd without generating something predictable.

So, how did we transpose this intention to music?

The brief asked us to create:

• A chant that everybody can sing along to
• A classic yet modern anthem combining emotions with a sense of power
•  A message of strength and courage for women to relate to

“The main challenge was to create a composition that both captured the innate prestige and excellence inherently associated with the Champions League, as well as a bold and progressive anthem,” says Lodewijk Pöttker, Executive Creative Producer at MassiveMusic. “It was paramount to create something for both players and fans to really connect with.”

The anthem had to elevate the players, making them feel invincible and confident as they walked out onto the field. Not only. Because the chant is so public-facing, it had to be motivational for the fans too. We were clear from the get-go that it had to be strong and feminine in nature.

We immersed ourselves in research, listening to coronation anthems for queens and princesses as well as classical music pieces that could evoke the same majesty. Fun fact: most famous anthems are composed in Baroque timing. The level of complexity when it comes to the arrangement, counterpoints and harmonies is as high as a kite.

We didn’t stop there. It was paramount to also get inspired by contemporary music that could mash with the more traditional touch, mainly because we wanted to land on a memorable hook. That’s why we decided to divide the piece into two different parts that would eventually become one.

The first part is the walk-on fan chant. As the players walk onto the pitch, the fans cheer them with an anthemic repetitive melody. Once the players are lined up, the second part kicks in. Here’s where an epic full orchestral piece with a strong beat underneath makes its appearance building up in a crescendo.

Lyrics-wise, we formed a multilingual team who provided us with phrases and keywords that could convey the perfect message while using UEFA’s three official languages: English, German and French.

We asked them not to fall into cliché, especially considering the short length of the song. The piece had to give that extra confidence booster the players (and fans) need right before giving their uttermost best onto the pitch (and from the stands).

To take it to the next level, we got in touch with the Groot Omroep Choir, with Martina Batič as a conductor, and recorded it at the Muziekcentrum van de Omroep recording studio in Hilversum, the Netherlands.

We also formed an in-house women-led creative committee to provide feedback on sound composition throughout the creative process, ensuring the piece conveyed an empowering message for women.

An anthem that is ceremonial and badass in equal measure. It’s loud and doesn’t shy away from screaming: “We are fierce and here to stay”.

Want to practice? Here are the lyrics so you can sing along:

Mit Stolz / They stand / Les grandes équipes
The ones / The few
Die Besten / Les meilleurs
Are here for you

All unite / Das große Spiel
The time is now / C’est maintenant
They stand / With pride

The short-term moment of pride? The UEFA Women’s Champions League anthem was played for the first time in September 2021.

Yet, our ultimate goal for it is to be iconic and hold a timeless spirit, present in the hearts of football fans for decades to come.

The UEFA Women’s Champions League offers a change of perspective in the narrative we’re used to. It’s time the world celebrates what women are capable of, no matter the field they operate in, singing their heart out, hand on heart.