MADRID, 23 May. (EUROPA PRESS) –
This Tuesday, Real Madrid shared the eleventh European Cup won in Kaunas with the people of Madrid, a “dream” trophy that “will always remain in the memory and heart of all basketball fans”, on a day of celebration in which They offered the title to the Community and its president, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, and the City Council and the mayor of the capital, José Luis Martínez-Almeida.
The Madrid players shared the 2022-2023 Euroleague trophy in front of hundreds of fans who accompanied the whites’ journey through the center of Madrid. The first stop for the squad and coaching staff, accompanied by the Madrid president and the club’s board of directors, was the headquarters of the Community of Madrid at Puerta del Sol.
There, after the exchange of gifts -a plaque from the organization for the club and a shirt for Ayuso-, Florentino Pérez spoke, acknowledging that the reception was “exciting”. “This feat will always remain in the memory and in the hearts of all basketball fans,” he assured.
“It is the symbol of what Real Madrid is, an example of incredible improvement and knowing how to face a challenge with the conviction of never giving up. What we experience in Kaunas is the culmination of a path towards the impossible, a similarity with what that happened in the Champions League last year”, praised the president.
Florentino Pérez had words of thanks to some players “who breathe Madridismo and are very aware of what it means to be Real Madrid”. “They have gone through difficult times making the path to success much harder. Tavares has proven to be the best center in European basketball. Llull and Chacho represent the spirit of unity, they have won everything and continue to demonstrate their commitment to the club “He addressed some in particular.
“This last basket will be the basket of your life, one of those great magical moments that we will never forget,” he told the white captain, before confessing that the ‘Eleventh’ “is a very special title” for the coach, Chus Mateo, “a man of the house who has suffered from the first minute some hasty and unfair attacks”, according to the president. “The pressure has been enormous and you have known how to face it,” he praised the coach.
He also had words of gratitude towards the Real Madrid fans, without whom “nothing would have been possible”, highlighting their support during the fifth game in Madrid against Partizán that allowed the comeback in the quarterfinals. “It will be one of the best games in the history of European basketball,” he said. “The basketball section is synonymous with greatness for Real Madrid,” he remarked.
For Ayuso, Real Madrid “has made history again” by lifting the eleventh European Cup. “It is the most exciting victory, which will always be remembered and will make the club’s legend bigger. You were on the limit against Partizan and Llull’s basket is already part of the epic moment in the Euroleague. This club is characterized by its dominance and greatness always, even when everything is against it”, highlighted the president.
“Real Madrid is doubly great, everything it does transcends football and basketball. Teamwork and discipline appear in all projects, you are a legend that thousands of people are passionate about. The recipe is team, perseverance and triumph , the most valuable lesson that Real Madrid can teach”, Ayuso concluded his speech.
The Real Madrid captain, Sergio Llull, had spoken earlier, recalling the “hard” road to victory. “Everyone was incredible in the ‘Final Four’, we have made another demonstration of what it means to wear this shirt: never give up and never give up. Hopefully we can return in a month with the League trophy”, wished the player .
Llull also led the way on the balcony of the regional headquarters, addressing the hundreds of people from Madrid who were waiting to see the trophy up close. Both he and Rudy Fernández, Sergio Rodríguez and Walter Tavares thanked the fans for their support, ending their brief interventions with the traditional ‘Hala Madrid’.
And it was against the people of Madrid when Mateo described the Euroleague won in Kaunas as “a dream”, “with a poetic basket from Llull” and “raising a 0-2 lead in a legendary tie against Partizán”.
ALMEIDA: “YOU SPENT YOUR WHOLE SOUL TO BRING THE TROPHY TO MADRID”
The second and last stop for the whites was the Palacio de Cibeles, headquarters of the Madrid City Council and where the mayor, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, and the deputy mayor, Begoña Villacís, were waiting, dressed in a Vinícius Júnior shirt in support of the Brazilian after the racist insults received by the Brazilian.
After greeting all the members of the team, Almeida highlighted Real Madrid’s “historic victory” in the Euroleague, a victory that makes them “the symbol” of the capital. “The epic that has surrounded this Euroleague will be remembered, it will occupy a preferential place. Because they had never come back from 0-2, for beating Barça and for that extraordinary final, with that basket with three seconds to go,” said the mayor. .
“You have not had a good time this season and that makes the victory even greater. The other day you wasted all the soul in the world to bring this trophy to Madrid. You continue to make the name of this city great, we are deeply proud of Real Madrid, too of the values that you transmit. I am convinced that you are going to continue bringing more triumphs and you will continue to be an emblem of this city”, he predicted.
As at Puerta del Sol, Florentino Pérez also took the floor to be “proud” that the club has become “one of the great ambassadors” of the city. “Real Madrid is a universal club, through its values, with which this team feels fully identified and which have been fundamental in achieving another of Real Madrid’s most brilliant pages in basketball,” he underlined.
“It has been an exciting journey in one of the most difficult seasons in recent times. Work, sacrifice and struggle by players who have given everything with humility. Llull’s basket will always be eternal and one of the great symbols of this Cup of Europe. We are the club of the 25 European Cups, the 14 in football and now the 11 in basketball”, he added.