Tens of thousands of FC Barcelona fans celebrated the championship titles of the men’s and women’s teams.
The footballers drove through Barcelona in open double-decker buses at a snail’s pace, cheered on by the “Culés”, as Barça fans are called. Police officers had to clear the dark blue buses a way through the crowds that populated the streets on the approximately eight-kilometer route from the Camp Nou stadium to the Arc de Triomf.
27th Men’s League Title
Players like Germany international goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen, ex-Bayern star Robert Lewandowski and players like world-class kickers Alexia Putellas and Caroline Graham Hansen wore T-shirts with the imprint “The league is ours. And so is the future.” . Such a street party because of a championship title was last in 2018 in the Mediterranean metropolis. It was the 27th league title for the men. “It makes me proud to share this with people,” said ter Stegen.
Lewandowski, wearing dark sunglasses and a Barça scarf, danced with other players on the upper deck of his bus. Coach Xavi Hernández raised his right fist as fans cheered him on as he won his first title as a coach. Ronald Araujo wrapped himself in the flag of his native Uruguay. E
However, one thing was missing, wrote the sports newspaper “Mundo Deportivo”: Lionel Messi, 21 years at Barça, under contract with Paris Saint-Germain since 2021, whose return everyone at FC Barcelona is now hoping for. At the same time, it was emphasized that the blue and reds could win the championship title without the superstar.
Victory in the city derby
Xavi’s side secured the Spanish championship early on Sunday evening with a 4-2 win in the city derby against Espanyol. Lewandowski scored a brace. Full-back Alejandro Balde and Jules Koundé scored the other goals for Barça. Javi Puado and Joselu scored for Espanyol.
Four games before the end of the season, the team is 14 points ahead of pursuers Real Madrid and can no longer be ousted from first place. Ter Stegen, who stood “like a wall” throughout the season, was also decisive for the success of the Catalans, wrote the newspaper “El País”. The women’s team, which meets VfL Wolfsburg in the Champions League final on June 3 in Eindhoven, had already secured the league title in April.