Real Madrid arrived back from Cardiff to a hero’s welcome as they paraded the Champions League trophy to thousands of fans from an open-top bus, before the party moved on their Santiago Bernabeu home.
The victorious squad were driven through the streets of Madrid in a huge white bus emblazoned with the message ‘Campeones 12’ and the club’s crest to mark their 12th European Cup success, The Daily Mail reports.
White confetti rained down on the squad and the supporters surrounded the bus as Real toasted winning their Champions League success back home on Sunday evening.
Captain Sergio Ramos and Marcelo led the celebrations as they proudly showed off the trophy to their jubilant fans, lifting it above their heads alongside the famous Cibeles Fountain. The landmark, named after Cybele, the Phrygian goddess of nature, was built in the reign of Charles III in the late 1700s and depicts her sitting on a chariot pulled by two lions.
Ramos posted a photo on Instagram of himself posing with the trophy on a Madrid balcony above the fans with the caption ‘It’s ours, it’s yours!’.
His team-mate Gareth Bale also took to social media to post his impression of the Champions League parade – an artistic photo of the celebrating crowds captioned simply ‘HalaMadrid’.
Madrid regional government president Cristina Cifuentes met with Cristiano Ronaldo and Co at the hall and was handed a shirt by skipper Ramos to commemorate La Duodecima – the club’s 12th major European triumph.
Cifuentes lifted the trophy aloft with Ramos before posing for a photo with the club president Florentino Perez as she toasted Real’s latest European trophy.
As night fell in Madrid, the stadium was lit up by fireworks and lights, while supporters watched their heroes being introduced onto a stage in the middle of the pitch, with Ronaldo capturing most of the attention while Ramos again lifted the trophy. This time he was wearing a crown.
Captain Ramos also gifted the Mayor of Madrid Manuela Carmena a personalised Real shirt before Carmena enjoyed her own moment with the trophy.
Marcelo and Ramos lifted the silverware up at from the City Hall of Madrid’s balcony in front of Real fans – who turned up in their thousands to salute Zinedine Zidane’s squad.
After visiting the square the players headed to the Santiago Bernabeu for more celebrations that are expected to last long into the night.
