Explained: How did GALA's Freed from Desire become a football chant?

At the end of each game at UEFA EURO 2024, you will hear one dance song that will get the fans of the winning team on their feet dancing in unison with the players and staff.

But what is this song, and how did it become the anthem of the European Championships?

What is the song played at the end of each EURO 2024 match?

"Freed From Desire" by Italian dance act GALA is played at the end of each EURO 2024 match, making it the unofficial football anthem of the tournament.

The song itself was released in 1996, 28 years ago.

But over the past 8-years, the song has been prevalent at major tournaments like UEFA EURO 2024, the Champions League, Premier League, and the World Cup.

How did "Freed From Desire" become a football chant?

Whilst fans have been singing iterations of this dance classic from around the mid 2000s, the recent increase in popularity of the football chant to the melody of "Freed From Desire", comes from a viral video from 2016 by Wigan Athletic fan Sean Kennedy.

Sean Kennedy took to YouTube to film himself singing two new chants that he had written in honour of Wigan's Northern Irish striker, Will Grigg, who was scoring for fun at the time.

Kennedy's lyrics "Will Grigg is on fire, your defence is terrified" to the melody of "Freed From Desire" went viral, with videos of Wigan Athletic fans singing it at matches and in public places spreading rapidly across social media within weeks of the original video being posted.

When Sean Kennedy birthed the modern football chant "Freed From Desire", he had no idea how ubiquitous the chant would become, with most football clubs across Europe now having a version of the chant.

Wigan Athletic were so enamoured by Sean Kennedy's "Will Grigg's on Fire" chant that they offered the cult hero a free season ticket for life, as well as asking him to partake in official club announcement videos of kit launches and transfer announcements.

What are the lyrics to the "Freed from Desire" football chant?

Sean Kennedy's original version contained the following lyrics for the chant "Will Grigg's on fire":

[Bridge]

He will score goals, he will score just more and more

He will score goals, he will score just more and more

He will score goals, he will score just more and more

He will score goals, and that's what we signed him for

[Chorus]

Will Grigg's on fire, your defence is terrified

Will Grigg's on fire, your defence is terrified

Will Grigg's on fire, your defence is terrified

Will Grigg's on fire

Na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na

How did "Freed From Desire" become internationally famous?

Northern Ireland fans were responsible for exporting the "Free From Desire" chant during UEFA EURO 2016.

Will Grigg didn’t register a single minutefor Northern Ireland at the 2016 European Championships.

Nevertheless, Northern Irish fans adopted Sean Kennedy’s chant as their own, with videos appearing on social media of this chant being sung in the stadiums and in the streets of France at UEFA EURO 2016.

Germany's World Cup-winning defender Mats Hummels humorously acknowledged the song at a press conference during EURO 2016 in France, expressing his desire to swap shirts with Will Grigg after Germany's game against Northern Ireland as he had become a cult legend amongst the German players because of the chant.

Who wrote ”Freed From Desire“?

GALA wrote and performed “Freed From Desire” in 1996. It is an Italian dance music project led by singer Gala Rizzatto. Known for its distinctive Eurodance style, GALA gained prominence in the mid-1990s with several hits, the most notable being "Freed From Desire."

What is "Freed From Desire" about?

The song "Freed From Desire" by GALA is about finding inner fulfilment in the simple things in life, with lyrics like "My love has got no money, he's got his strong beliefs".

Gala's then-boyfriend was a part of the National Ballet of Senegal, and was living in one of the poorest parts of Harlem, New York City.

She wrote the song about the Senegalese community of dancers and drummers who were unanimously content and happy with their lives despite not having great living conditions, money, or material goods.

GALA herself explained the deeper meaning behind "Freed From Desire" in an interview:

How popular was GALA - “Freed From Desire” in the 1990s?

The song performed well on the charts, particularly in Europe where it reached the top 10 in most countries, including a number 1 chart position in France and number 2 in the UK singles charts.

"Freed From Desire" by GALA is more than just a 90s dance hit.

It's a song that has transcended its original genre to become an anthem of unity and celebration in the world of football.

From its impressive chart performance in the late 1990s to its current status as a football chant at major tournaments like Euro 2024, "Freed From Desire" continues to inspire and energise fans and players alike.

Its journey from the dance floors of Europe to the stadiums of UEFA EURO 2024 highlights the powerful connection between music and sport.

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