Liverpool have secured the Premier League title, and with their dominant performance, they’re set to receive four guards of honour—starting with Chelsea.
As Arne Slot’s title-winning side entered the stadium, they were met with boos from the home crowd. One Chelsea player seemed to share that sentiment.
A video taken from the stands by journalist James Pearce suggested that Noni Madueke wasn’t eager to take part in the tribute.
While others—teammates, officials, and mascots—clapped respectfully, Madueke’s participation appeared half-hearted at best.
Offering a guard of honour is a customary sign of respect for the league’s top team, and the 23-year-old’s actions came across as quite disrespectful.
Madueke seemed to deliberately avoid properly acknowledging Liverpool during the guard of honour.
Once the starting lineups were revealed, fans were curious to see which players would be tasked with applauding the champions.
Seeing Romeo Lavia, Moises Caicedo, and Enzo Fernandez—who chose Chelsea over Liverpool—take part made the moment even more satisfying for some.
Pundits like Rio Ferdinand and Peter Crouch have noted how much players dislike these ceremonies, which likely echoed the thoughts of Enzo Maresca’s squad.
Madueke’s blatant display of frustration was seen as poor form—and if he ever finds himself on the other side of a title win, one can only hope he’s not met with the same lack of courtesy.
