Real Madrid celebrated winning the Spanish League title on Sunday, as the team rode an open-top bus through the streets of Madrid to share the trophy with its fans.
The trophy was presented to the players, coach Carlo Ancelotti and president Florentino Pérez by Spanish Football Federation president Pedro Rocha in a behind-closed-doors ceremony at the club’s Valdebebas training ground on Sunday morning.
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The team then took the bus to visit Madrid’s regional government headquarters at Puerta del Sol, in the city centre, and the city hall, before arriving in nearby Cibeles, where they were joined by thousands of fans.
“We have to go to Cibeles, because we won a very difficult league title,” captain Nacho told Real Madrid TV. “We are very happy. You have to enjoy the moment because you never know when you will win again. Going to Cibeles gives you goosebumps. I have been dreaming about this all year.”
Midfielder Toni Kroos said: “We had a great season. “We’ve had difficulties, a lot of injuries, but winning the league so early, with such excellence, says a lot about this group. It’s important to celebrate with the fans.”
Madrid’s title win was confirmed last weekend when they beat Cádiz 3-0, followed by Girona’s 4-2 win over Barcelona, meaning Madrid had a 13-point lead with four games remaining.
It is the club’s 36th league title, a record in Spanish football.
They will have a chance to add another trophy to their collection next month when they face Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League final at Wembley Stadium in London.
“Thank you for your support and love this season,” England midfielder Jude Bellingham told fans at Puerta del Sol, speaking in Spanish. “Another big game at Wembley, and we will win. Come on, Madrid!”
Real Madrid’s La Liga title celebrations were postponed until after the completion of their Champions League semi-final against Bayern Munich, after a 2-1 win in the second leg at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday thanks to a late brace from striker Joselu.
Perez said: “This is a special league title for Real Madrid, because we won it with the values of the team.” “Everything we did was due to effort, hard work and humility…. This team has overcome a lot of adversity, with a lot of injuries, and they have overcome it. (Thibault) Courtois, (Eder) Militao and (David Alaba) are examples of how to overcome.
“This 36th league title is a ‘league to conquer’. History obliges us to keep winning, and on that day we had another magical night at the Bernabeu. We will do everything in our power to win the 15th title (European Cup).”
The Spanish Football Federation had originally proposed handing over the trophy on Saturday, as Real Madrid visited Granada in their first league match since being crowned champions, but Madrid rejected this proposal out of respect for Granada, whose relegation from La Liga was confirmed this weekend.
