Murillo chant: Lyrics, tune and story behind Nottingham Forest’s song for their Brazilian defender

Nottingham Forest fans may have been put through the ringer in recent seasons, from relegation battles to the club's chaotic activity in the boardroom, but for their ever-reliable Brazilian centre-back, they always belt out the Murillo chant.

Signed for just £11.2m, Murillo arrived in the Premier League from Corinthians back in 2023, and quickly earned a reputation as one of the best ball-playing defenders in the division.

Rival clubs such as Chelsea have long been credited with interest in the 24-year-old, who has been valued in excess of £70m, but the noise City Ground – a key part of one of the best atmospheres in the top flight – would take a hit if he headed for the exit.

Here, Football Ground Guide covers all you need to know about the Murillo chant, including the song's lyrics, tune and origin.

Murillo chant, lyrics and tune

The Murillo chant is sung to the tune of ‘Push It' by Salt-N-Pepa. This is the same tune that Arsenal fans use for the Viktor Gyokeres chant. The lyrics are as follows:

He’s from Sao Paolo,

He plays in red and white,

He hates the derby,

He thinks they’re f***ing sh**e,

He’s breaking ankles everywhere he goes,

His name's Murillo, Murillo dos Santos

Du, du, du, du, du, du, du, du, du, du ,du

Murillo chant background

The Murillo chant does a good job of summarising both the player and Nottingham Forest fan culture in one single chant.

It references that he hates Derby County (although he has probably never heard of them) in a nod to Forest's fiercest rivals, who currently play in the Championship.

Meanwhile, the line about him breaking ankles wherever he goes is a reference to the type of player he is. The Brazilian is known for being one of the hardest hitters in the Premier League, and you will never catch him backing out of a 50/50.

There is also a nod to his Brazilian heritage, so all in all, there aren't many bases not covered by Forest fans here.

Nottingham Forest fans singing the Murillo chant

FGG says: A fitting chant for a tenacious footballer

Murillo has established himself as one of the best defenders in the Premier League, and his chant is almost as popular with other clubs as the Brazilian – Arsenal's edition for Gyokeres came after the Garibaldis', so there can be no accusations of plagiarism, here.

Forest boast one of the best atmospheres in the top flight, and this tune is surely appreciated by Murillo when it is belted out from the stands.