Matuidi calls on France football fans to sing English anthem

Clairefontaine-en-Yvelines (France) (AFP) – France midfielder Blaise Matuidi has called on home fans to join in the singing of the English national anthem when the nations meet in a friendly on Tuesday out of solidarity following recent terror attacks.

“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.

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.

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.”