MADRID, 3 Jun. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Real Madrid experienced the icing on the cake of its celebration for the fifteenth European Cup this Sunday at the Santiago Bernabéu, with a show of light, sound and fireworks around the players, with the renovated white stadium full of its fans.
The Castellana fiefdom had been waiting for its heroes full of people for several hours before and, around 11:00 p.m., the European champions appeared. The final whistle at Wembley, after the 0-2 draw against Borussia Dortmund in Saturday’s final, began the celebrations that the players resumed this afternoon in a large mass bath.
The visits to the Cathedral, the Community of Madrid and the City Hall, with the highlight of the goddess Cybele before thousands of people, set the expedition back to the Bernabéu. The stadium, opened a few months ago, was waiting for its fans with giant screens in the center and the gigantic 360 video scoreboard ready to perform with the stands full.
The ceremony began with a video of the final against Dortmund and the club’s 15 European Cups, with a ‘Kings of Europe’ as the final message, amid spectacular lights. The first to jump onto the field, along a futuristic catwalk, was the coach, Carlo Ancelotti, followed by his coaching staff.
The players were introduced one by one, under the loud chords of The White Stripes’ Seven Nation Army, and the first ovation went to Andriy Lunin, relegated from his position by Thibaut Courtois just for the Champions League final. Much bigger was the one that Vinícius won, with the public asking for the ‘Ballon d’Or’.
Afterwards, 80,000 people sang ‘Hey Jude’ to welcome Bellingham. Courtois, Dani Carvajal, Luka Modric and Toni Kroos finished lighting up the stands, resonating especially with the German as it was his farewell. The last one, the captain, Nacho Fernández, with the fifteenth trophy, to join the rest.
The Spanish international climbed to the heights, a platform above the big screens where the protagonists were placed, to raise the ‘Orejona’ with Queen’s ‘We are the champions’, under the explosion of kilos of confetti and fireworks.
MODRIC: “UNTIL NEXT SEASON”
The time then came for the speeches and the Bernabéu was clear, they had to try to secure some of the pending renewals. They tried it with Kroos, but the German made it clear that his decision had already been made. “They have been 10 unforgettable years, I love you,” said the ‘8’, who will retire after the Euro Cup.
Meanwhile, they sang ‘Nacho quédate’ to Nacho again and again, but the defender gave no clues, although he ended up asking for more successes. “It has been a spectacular season. The president has made a good mess with this incredible stadium. We have had a year that is something to dream about. We worked nights like yesterday. We are the kings of Europe, of the world, of the universe. It is a “I am proud to be the captain and I hope we continue making history,” he said.
Dani Carvajal also thanked the fans for their support in a “fantastic year” from an “exemplary team” after “many difficulties.” Then it was Luka Modric who grabbed the microphone and the Croatian let it slip that he will renew and continue next season, when he will turn 39 years old. “Thank you for your support. See you next season,” he said while his name was chanted.
Finally, Ancelotti highlighted the joy of sharing successes. “Winning gives us a lot of happiness to share it with you and with us, spending nights like this is spectacular. We will continue fighting, competing, winning, dreaming with you, for you. This stadium is the best in the world, capable of generating an energy that makes us “It has allowed us to do unthinkable things. 90 minutes at the Bernabéu are very long,” he concluded.
The ‘Décima’ anthem and the manteo to Kroos were the last moments of the players on that hulk of light and sound in the center of the field. Afterwards, everyone took the lap of honor to thank in a more intimate way the public’s affection, at an end to the celebration with their families and total joy on the grass.