Jubilant Real fans converge on Madrid
Reuters - Thursday 03 May 2012, 18:24
Thousands of jubilant Real Madrid
fans converged on the centre of the Spanish capital on Thursday
to hail their conquering heroes and celebrate the club's first
La Liga title in four years.
Coach Jose Mourinho, captain Iker Casillas and the players
were driven along the thronged Paseo de Recoletos in an
open-topped bus decked out in the club colours to the Cibeles
fountain, traditional site of Real's title celebrations.
With rock music blaring and confetti filling the air,
Casillas scaled a specially erected scaffold and tied a club
flag around the neck of the Cibeles statue to signal the end of
the three-year stranglehold on the Spanish championship of
Real's bitter rivals Barcelona.
"This is what we work for, to give joy to the fans,"
Mourinho, who has now won titles in his native Portugal,
England, Italy and Spain, said in an interview with the club's
television channel.
Mourinho's compatriot Cristiano Ronaldo added: "This is just
a feeling of great joy.
"It's my first league here in Spain and I am really happy
and the fans really deserve this."
Real wrapped up the title on Wednesday when a 3-0 win at
Athletic Bilbao left them seven points clear of Barca with two
games left.