A Paris Saint-Germain fan appeared to employ a never-seen-before tactic to distract Liverpool players during the French club’s penalty shootout triumph on Tuesday night, sparking questions about how he managed to pull it off.
Liverpool entered the match with a 1-0 advantage, but that was erased just 12 minutes in when Ousmane Dembele found the net.
With neither team able to secure a winner in regulation or extra time, the intense showdown was decided by penalties. After PSG captain Achraf Hakimi won the coin toss to determine the shooting order and end, Gianluigi Donnarumma denied spot-kicks from Darwin Nunez and Curtis Jones in front of the Anfield Road End, sealing Liverpool’s fate in the Champions League Round of 16.
Luis Enrique and his bench leaped from the dugout to celebrate with PSG’s goalkeeper, but it may have been the actions of a fan with a megaphone that truly made the difference.
A PSG supporter stationed directly behind the goal was seen holding a megaphone. Throughout the penalty shootout, he repeatedly played siren noises as Liverpool players stepped up to take their spot-kicks, and could also be heard shouting down it to cause further distraction. Watch the incidents below:
Liverpool fans have heavily criticised the use of the megaphone online, questioning how it was permitted. Stewards inside Anfield wearing earmuffs didn’t get involved, but one fan asked on X: “How was that PSG fan allowed to use a siren right behind the goals?” while a second added: “How was that guy with the megaphone allowed to do what he was doing during the shootout? It’s enough to put anybody off their game.
A third comment read: “How on Earth did someone get into a stadium and be allowed to make that noise behind the goal with a megaphone?” while a fourth concluded: “I’ve worked in that stadium, why was the PSG fan with the megaphone allowed to belt it before every penalty? That at least gets confiscated, at worst gets you kicked out the stadium.”
This morning, the Reds must come to terms with the fact that they simply weren’t good enough to overcome PSG, despite topping the Champions League league phase. However, they must also keep the bigger picture in mind – they look set for the Premier League title and have a League Cup final at Wembley to look forward to on Sunday, so not all is lost.
