Thousands of Atletico Madrid fans defied the
authorities by taking to the streets of the Spanish capital to celebrate on
Saturday night after victory over Real Valladolid secured their team an 11th
league title.
اضافة اعلان
As soon as the full-time whistle blew in
Valladolid to confirm a 2-1 win, Atletico supporters flocked to the Neptune
fountain in the center of Madrid, in line with tradition but defying COVID-19
rules regarding the wearing of masks and social distancing.
“I was confident Atletico would win. It was like
a final and being against Valladolid, I knew we were going to win,” Federico
Gonzalez, 46, and among the crowds, told AFP.
A large police presence surrounded the fountain,
with several vans also present to prevent people from approaching the fountain,
which had been lit up in Atletico’s red and white colours.
Fans waved flags and scarves while others set
off flares as darkness fell, the celebrations going on into the night after
Atletico’s second La Liga title in seven years.
“It is a joy. From the beginning of the game I
was overcome with nerves because Atleti plays each game in its own way and you
just never know”, said Carlota Maestro, 20, who came to the city center with
three friends.
Amid shouts of “Atleti, Atleti” and “Campeones”,
the rojiblancos fans danced, jumped and hugged each other. Cars and motorbikes
drove by honking their horns, some with red and white flags poking out of the
windows.
The
COVID-19 pandemic has meant Atletico’s fans
have not been allowed to attend matches this season and their celebrations
defied the recommendations of the authorities.
Fans ignored rules on social distancing and many
were not wearing masks.
“Please, I ask the Atletico fans not to go to
Neptune,” wrote the mayor of Madrid, Jose Luis Martinez-Almeida, himself an
Atletico supporter, on Twitter. “I am the first to understand the desire to
celebrate but this is not the time.”
“It is a strange celebration, because we have
not been able to do it like normal, on the field, surrounded by other fans,”
said Pablo Diaz, a 22-year-old fan. “We celebrate it but with a little fear,
being careful, and wearing a mask.”
Hundreds of other fans had accompanied the team
to Valladolid, where they watched the game on their phones in the car park
outside the stadium.
After the match,
Atletico’s ran out of the
stadium to celebrate with the supporters they had not seen all season.
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