Sean Cox family 'disgusted' by Man City anti-Liverpool chant video despite club denials

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Andrew Feinberg

White House Correspondent

The brother of Sean Cox has said his family are “disgusted” by a chant that Manchester City players and staff appeared to sing during their Premier League title celebrations, despite the club’s denial that it references the Liverpool supporter.

Video footage, published to social media earlier this week, appears to show City players and staff mocking Liverpool’s defeat in last year’s Champions League final in Kiev by singing a parody of their popular ‘Allez, Allez, Allez’ chant.

The song, which begins “All the way to Kiev, to end up in defeat”, includes a reference to Liverpool fans “crying in the stands” and being “battered in the streets”. Another line claims their rivals are “victims of it all”.

Cox, a Liverpool fan, was left with severe, life-changing injuries when he was attacked outside Anfield by Roma supporters shortly before a Champions League semi-final first leg last season.

In a statement released on Tuesday night, a City spokesperson insisted that the song, which has been sung regularly by the club’s fans this season, refers only to the game in Kiev.

Two men were arrested by Ukrainian police after a group of Liverpool supporters were attacked in a restaurant near Kiev’s Olympic Stadium in the days leading up to last year’s final.

“Any suggestion that the lyrics relate to Sean Cox or the Hillsborough tragedy is entirely without foundation,” the statement added.

However, in an interview with Merseyside radio station Radio City, Sean’s brother Martin Cox has nevertheless condemned the chant.

“If I’m honest I’m disgusted,” he said, in quotes picked up by the Liverpool Echo. “Singing and chanting those words, it’s like it gives the impression that it’s okay for people to carry out attacks like that on people in the streets.

“It’s a matter very close to our hearts and whether they say it’s about Sean or not, the first thing I think about is Sean being attacked.

“It wasn’t long ago that a Manchester City fan was attacked in Germany, so why they think it’s okay to sing songs about people being attacked on the streets when one of their own was attacked not long ago is very naive.

“I feel like the players themselves have let their club down and the majority of their fans. Liverpool themselves have only acted in a dignified way since we lost the league last Sunday.

“The first thing our manager did was come out and congratulate Man City and their players. They congratulated City on having such a great season.

“I think they’ve tarnished themselves now by coming out with songs like that because at the end of the day they are professional footballers and they’ve only let themselves down and their club down.

“They’ve also sent out the wrong message. At the end of the day professional footballers are role models to kids and in this day and age every professional footballer will be media trained, so it is surely sending out the wrong message.”

The footage of City players and staff appearing to sing the chant is believed to have been taken while flying back to Manchester from Brighton.

Pep Guardiola’s side successfully defended their Premier League title on Sunday by beating Brighton and Hove Albion 4-1, thereby finishing above challengers Liverpool by one point.