I always enjoy the Champions’ League anthem. Where does it come from?

There are many things which build and come together to create the memorable, European nights of the UEFA Champions’ League. Exotic cities, impressive stadia, fashionably-dressed men and women – all of it makes for a spectacle quite unlike any other. Of course, even the most glamorous display is nothing without an equally grand soundtrack. Which is why, when the stadium is rocking and the flares are lit on the terraces, the proceedings are turned over to a maestro worth of the stage.

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In 1727, George Frideric Handel was charged with composing the music for the coronation of King George II.  The four hymns which he wrote for the occasion – entitled Zadok the Priest, The King Shall Rejoice, My Heart is Inditing, and Let thy Hand be Strengthened – became known as the Coronation Anthems.

Of the four, Zadok the Priest has been performed during the anointing ceremony at each of the nine coronations since. The traditional text is derived from the anointing of King Solomon, as recorded in I Kings 1:38-40. It reads:

Zadok the priest and Nathan   
the prophet anointed Solomon King
And all the people rejoic’d, and said:
God save the King, long live the King, may the King live forever!
Amen Hallelujah!

The brilliant surging of the choir as it sings the chorus of Zadok the Priest is never lost on even the most un-tuned of ears. Rather, its climax is one of the most impressive moments in music. Indeed, its drama and tension has crowned sovereigns for the better part of two centuries.

Handel’s anthem was reborn alongside the old European Cup competition in 1992. With UEFA having created the Champions’ League from the remnants of the old format, Tony Britten was charged with writing a hymn to serve as the competition’s official anthem.

Britten settled on an arrangement of Zadok the Priest.  The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra was hired for the recording; and the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields sang the chorus in each of UEFA’s official languages: German, French, and English.

The lyrics, specially composed for Britten’s version of the piece, read as follows:

Ce sont les meilleurs equipes,
Sie sind die allerbesten Mannschaften
The main event

Die Meister, Die Besten, Les Grandes Equipes, The Champions

Une grande reunion
Eine grosse sportliche Veranstaltung
The main event

Ils sont les meilleurs
Sie sind die besten
These are the champions

Die Meister, Die Besten, Les Grandes Equipes, The Champions

Why do Chelsea fans hate Avram Grant?

Well, you wonder why I always dress in black,
Why you never see bright colors on my back,
And why does my appearance seem to have a somber tone.
Well, there's a reason for the things that I have on.

Appearances, it seems, are everything at Chelsea Football Club. Claudio Ranieri, Gianluca Vialli, Ruud Gullit – each possessed a certain amount of charm and charisma. Then there was Jose Mourinho. The Special One, himself. Movie-star looks, Armani overcoat, and an ego to boot.

No, Avram Grant does not fit the Chelsea mould. Then again, he was put in a near-impossible position when he succeeded Mourinho as manager in September. Roman Abramovich’s hand-picked man – a crony – he was never going to approach Mourinho’s god-like status among the supporters. It was hopeless from the start. Given the circumstances, however, the 52-year-old Israeli has performed admirably in the job.

In his first 29 Premier League games at the club, Grant registered a respectable 20 wins. Mourinho, by comparison, coached the team to 22 victories. Both qualified for the semifinals of the Champions’ League. Both also appeared in the Carling Cup final.

And while Grant’s Chelsea squad fell just short against Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley in February, he has had far more injuries to endure than his predecessor. Mourinho’s first two seasons at the club were relatively unmarked by fitness concerns. People tend to forget that. Certainly, at no time between 2004 and 2006 did Mourinho have to bear the extended absences of the likes of Peter Cech, John Terry, Frank Lampard, Joe Cole, and Didier Drogba. Nor did he lose his top striker to the African Nations Cup for over a month.

The fact that Grant has kept Chelsea in the hunt for a double should be applauded. It’s not, of course, for a very simple set of reasons. He is ugly. And he talks funny.

What can be done to improve the quality of refereeing in the Premier League?

It seems like match officials have been making more headlines than usual, this season. Of course, much of that perception might be down to Arsene Wenger’s non-stop bellyaching and the fact that Liverpool were involved in two of the more high-profile incidents – against Chelsea and Manchester United, no less.

The first, you may recall, occurred in late-August when Rob Styles awarded a dodgy penalty to Frank Lampard in the 62nd minute at Anfield. The second transpired just last month after Steve Bennett dismissed Javier Mascherano for dissent. The 23-year-old Argentinean, having already been booked for a harsh tackle on Paul Scholes, proceeded to pester Bennett at every opportunity. He embarrassed himself. And his antics came just four days after Mike Riley had failed to penalize Ashley Cole for similar behavior. Riley was demoted to the Championship for the following week’s fixtures.

Because of the Premier League’s global reach, every managerial gripe and call-in show grumble can quickly become an international hullabaloo. But don’t be duped into thinking that refereeing is an England-only concern. In Italy, for example, entire publications are dedicated to the performances and tendencies of match officials. And in South America, it’s not uncommon for a manager to spend the entire 90-minutes on the edge of his technical area, hurling abuse at the referee.

While the officiating in other sports is similarly scrutinized and debated, no sport disdains its referees and linesmen quite like football. And there’s a very simple explanation. Match officials are viewed as second-class citizens – imposters on the pitch rather than protectors of the laws of the game. Don’t believe it? The proof, as they say, is in the pudding.

In the National Basketball Association (NBA), a referee can earn up to US$78,000 per-year, according to The New York Times. National Hockey League (NHL) officials make anywhere between US$115,000 and US$225,000 annually, according to USA Today. And umpires in Major League Baseball (MLB) pull in as much as US$357,000 per-year, according to USA Today.

Compare those figures with the English Premier League – where referees tried in vain to garner compensation of £50,000 per-year, as well as transportation expenses and benefits, during negotiations in 1998. Not only were they repulsively undervalued, but the Premier League conveyed the impression that they did not view officiating as a full-time job. In so doing, they revealed that football is very, very much behind the times.

The Rugby Football Union, by contrast, introduced full-time, fully-professional referees in 1999. Mark Evans, the director of Saracens rugby, heralded the decision as “a very positive move.” In conversation with the BBC, he said, “It should help promote consistency, an in-house style that the clubs can get used to. Hopefully those selected will have time to visit with the clubs regularly and discuss all the issues with the players and coaches.”

Stuart Cummings echoed those sentiments in June, 2006, when the Rugby Football League opted to introduce full-time officials.

“It will allow referees to fully prepare for games,” he told the BBC, “as well as giving them the ability to analyze their own performance in detail.”

Both men hit the nail on the head. Expecting perfect or even near-perfect performances from semi-professional match officials is preposterous. These are individuals with day jobs. They cannot afford to dedicate every waking hour to studying and honing their craft.

Full professionalization would fix these problems. Referees, apart from officiating matches at the weekends, would have regular office hours, the opportunity to assess their work, and the chance to meet with other officials and develop some consistency. It’s hardly a revolutionary idea. And it would alleviate many of the current concerns – many of which are valid.

Of course, there would still be one or two moaners, nit-picking over every decision. But they will always be there. In fact, they tend to make things entertaining. However, with fully-professional match officials overseeing matches, their complaints would either be groundless or a problem to be addressed by the same, full-time referees over course of the following week. There are many ways to make officiating more consistent and effective. But full professionalization is really the only place to start.

Have a question about football? Email your query to jerradpeters@gmail.com.

Jerrad Peters is a football journalist based in Winnipeg, Canada and a correspondent for Soccer365.com. His weekly column for the Winnipeg Free Press is the largest of its kind in the country. A regular contributor to ESPN Soccernet, his work has also appeared on TheMirror.co.uk, Canadian-soccer.com, Footy247.co.uk, Foot2ball.com, and Squadinfo.com.