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    Manchester City Deny Liverpool Chant Relates to Sean Cox or Hillsborough

    Christopher Simpson@@CJSimpsonBRFeatured ColumnistMay 15, 2019

    Manchester City's players and coaching staff present the Premier League trophy to supporters outside the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, northern England on May 12, 2019. - Manchester City held off a titanic challenge from Liverpool to become the first side in a decade to retain the Premier League on Sunday by coming from behind to beat Brighton 4-1 on Sunday. (Photo by OLI SCARFF / AFP) (Photo credit should read OLI SCARFF/AFP/Getty Images)
    OLI SCARFF/Getty Images

    Manchester City have denied accusations that a chant sung by their players about Liverpool fans being "battered in the streets" and "victims of it all" relates to Sean Cox or the Hillsborough disaster.

    Per Sky Sports, in a statement City said the chant, sung to the tune of the Reds fans' "Allez, Allez, Allez" song, has been sung throughout the season and referred to the 2018 UEFA Champions League final, which Liverpool lost to Real Madrid in Kiev, Ukraine.

    The statement added: "Any suggestion that the lyrics relate to Sean Cox or the Hillsborough tragedy is entirely without foundation."

    City players were filmed singing the song after sealing the Premier League title at Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday, which earned them the trophy ahead of the Reds by one point.

    The song includes references to City captain Vincent Kompany, forward Raheem Sterling and Liverpool's Mohamed Salah (warning: contains profanity):

    Goal @goal

    Manchester City's players have been filmed mocking Liverpool's famous 'Allez, allez, allez' chant. https://t.co/niKVhBo6Oa

    Per James Pearce of the Liverpool Echo, the lyrics are: "All the way to Kiev, to end up in defeat, crying in the stands and battered on the streets, Kompany injured Salah, victims of it all, Sterling won the double, the Scousers won f--k all."

    Manchester City Deny Liverpool Chant Relates to Sean Cox or Hillsborough
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    Pearce condemned the chant, and colleague Ian Doyle found it difficult to give them the benefit of the doubt:

    Ian Doyle @IanDoyleSport

    I’m still a little sceptical, and I’d like to think the #MCFC players didn’t really know what they were singing about, but they’re making it very hard for me to give them the benefit of the doubt at present. Here’s what @JamesPearceEcho thinks 👇 https://t.co/iQTaaXJdas

    Football writer Leanne Prescott felt City's statement on the matter was severely lacking:

    Leanne Prescott @_lfcleanne

    No attempt at an apology, just reads like they’re trying to absolve themselves of blame. Remarks about being “battered in the streets” need explaining, whether it was specifically aimed at Sean Cox or not. Incredibly classless & leaves a sour taste after a brilliant season.

    Cox was left in a six-week coma after being assaulted by a Roma supporter outside Anfield ahead of last year's UEFA Champions League semi-final. Per the Echo's Kate McMullin, Cox has been left unable to walk or speak as a result of the attack.

    Ahead of the Champions League final, a group of Liverpool fans were attacked at a restaurant in Kiev.

    A crush in the stands at Sheffield Wednesday's Hillsborough Stadium during the 1989 FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest resulted in the deaths of 96 people.

    In 2016, a two-year inquest into the disaster found the supporters were unlawfully killed due to negligence on behalf of the police and ambulance services.