It seems Liverpool are winning hearts and making friends all over Europe.
Hot on the heels of their very cordial two-legged tie with Borussia Dortmund in the quarter-finals of the Europa League, they’ve quickly developed a bond with Villarreal fans in the semis too.
The Spanish club not only boast an extremely Beatle-esque nickname of El Submarino Amarillo, or the Yellow Submarine, but they also have an acute appreciation of Liverpool’s recent tragic past.
In a week that has seen Merseyside celebrate vindication and justice in the Hillsborough inquest, their Iberian equivalents unfurled a banner marking their remembrance of the 96 victims of the tragedy.
Classy tribute from @VillarrealCF fans #JFT96 https://t.co/1g85MCkbSl
— Liverpool FC News (@LivEchoLFC) April 28, 2016
It was a gesture that didn’t go unnoticed by Liverpool supporters, who took to Twitter to voice their immense appreciation of the noble and empathetic gesture.
https://twitter.com/1sherif19/status/725764104544223232
Touch of class from the Villareal fans. #respect #YNWA https://t.co/lxLcvDZT7O
— Gerard Fra (@gerard_fra) April 28, 2016
Lovely banner from the Villareal fans!! YNWA
— Zed* (@ZedGrrdaisy) April 28, 2016
A Villareal banner "96 You'll Never Walk Alone" 😍
— El Gaffer (@AhmedGhaffar) April 28, 2016
https://twitter.com/ap19_/status/725762744662790146
Fair play to the #Villareal fans for their #Hillsborough banner. Class touch #JFT96 #YNWA #VILvLIV #LivVil pic.twitter.com/jmTVPz2zC5
— bye (@bye123bye123) April 28, 2016