Real Madrid are celebrating another Champions League title

By TALES AZZONI AP Sports Writer

MADRID (AP) — For the second time in three seasons, Real Madrid celebrated a Champions League title with its fans on the streets of the Spanish capital. Several thousand people turned out to welcome the team on Sunday, a day after they won a record 15th Champions League title, beating Borussia Dortmund 2-0 at Wembley Stadium. There could be even more cause for celebration for Madrid fans in the coming days, with the club close to announcing the much-anticipated signing of Kylian Mbappé, the France star who left Paris Saint-Germain and has been targeted by the Spanish powerhouse.

MADRID (AP) — For the second time in three seasons and sixth in 10 years, Real Madrid celebrated a Champions League title with its fans on the streets of the Spanish capital.

Several thousand people turned out to welcome the team on Sunday, a day after they won a record 15th Champions League title, beating Borussia Dortmund 2-0 at Wembley Stadium.

There could be even more cause for celebration for Madrid fans in the coming days, with the club close to announcing the much-anticipated signing of Kylian Mbappé, the France star who left Paris Saint-Germain and has been targeted by the Spanish powerhouse.

The celebrations began with the team leaving the team’s Santiago Bernabeu stadium on top of an open top bus carrying the players and coaches to meet local officials as fans lined the streets to greet the newly crowned champions .

Toni Kroos grabbed most of the attention from fans and teammates after playing his final game for Madrid on Saturday. The fans repeatedly chanted for him to stay and the players later threw Kroos into the air several times at the Bernabeu.

“I want to thank you for the last few weeks, it was an unforgettable farewell,” an emotional Kroos told the Bernabeu crowd. “And thank you for these 10 unforgettable years. You supported me from the first day to the last.”

Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti re-enacted his Champions League celebrations in 2022, wearing sunglasses and smoking a cigar as he danced with the players.

Several thousand fans were at the club’s traditional celebration venue in Cibeles Square, where team captain Nacho Fernández draped the statue of the goddess Cybele with a Madrid flag and scarf and lifted the trophy to loud cheers.

The festivities ended at a packed Bernabeu where the players addressed the supporters and presented the Champions League trophy again.

“Wins make us happy, but we are even happier to be able to share moments like this with you,” Ancelotti said at the stadium. “Nights like these are spectacular. This stadium is able to generate an energy that allows us to never give up and do things that can be unthinkable.”

Almost 80,000 fans were in the stadium on Saturday to watch the final on big screens that were placed in the middle of the pitch.

“Three weeks ago we promised that we would be back here, celebrating our 15th (Champions League) title,” Kroos said.

Madrid had celebrated the Spanish league title three weeks ago in a similar fashion, but were unable to go to the Bernabeu because they had just hosted a concert.

Taylor Swift played at the venue a few days ago, but the club managed to make it available in time for the Champions League final festivities.