As Barcelona players from both the men’s and women’s teams celebrated winning both the men’s and women’s league titles on Monday afternoon in the streets of the city, they were showered with affection from the city’s thousands of fans.
Xavi Hernandez’s squad won the club’s 27th league title with a victory over Espanyol on Sunday, making it the first since 2019. Meanwhile, Barca’s women’s team secured their fourth consecutive Liga F trophy at the end of April.
Even though there was a chance of rain, the excited fans lined the streets as the players traveled the five miles from Camp Nou to the Arc de Triomf landmark in the city. The players travelled in two open-top buses to get there.
The Uruguayan flag was wrapped around Ronald Araujo, the defender, while Robert Lewandowski, the league’s leading scorer, waved to the crowd while wearing sunglasses and a Barcelona scarf.
The cheering supporters below were thrilled when Coach Xavi dropped a can of beer down to them. They had been chanting his name throughout the game.
T-shirts with the inscription “the league is ours, the future too” were worn by players from both teams. The t-shirts were a show of solidarity.The number of people present swelled as the buses continued along their journey, first to the central plaza known as Plaza Catalunya and then on to the Arc.
Marc-Andre Ter Stegen, the goalkeeper for the team, was interviewed by the television station and said that “you can see the fans are very excited about it and obviously we are too.” It fills me with joy to know that I can share this with them and bring us even closer together.
Another bus, which was blasting popular music to set the tone for the journey and was passing through streets covered with blue and red smoke, was parked in front of the two buses that the players were riding in.
The mood among supporters was upbeat, which was to be expected during a parade; yet, they anticipate more from both teams when they are competing in Europe.
The Barcelona women’s team has advanced all the way to the Champions League final, where they will square off against Wolfsburg on June 3 in Eindhoven, whereas the Barcelona men’s team was eliminated in the group stage of the Champions League for the second consecutive season.
“We say to the fans that we are celebrating today, but that we have a lot of our minds focused on Eindhoven and that we will give everything and more to make them proud,” Alexia Putellas, winner of the women’s Ballon d’Or twice, said in an interview with Barca TV. Putellas is the only player in history to win both the men’s and women’s awards.
A number of spectators scaled the roofs of bus stop shelters in order to obtain a better view of the game, while others watched from balconies while waving flags.
“I’m certain of my hope for the men’s team (next season), for them to give a good account of themselves in Europe,” a supporter named Laura Nieto, 37, from nearby Terrassa told AFP.
“That they don’t do poorly against significant competition, which is exactly what has been taking place. And for the ladies, for them to keep going in this direction, which is unstoppable.
The name of Lionel Messi, a playmaker for Paris Saint-Germain, was sung by some fans with the expectation that Barcelona will be able to bring him “home” this summer when his contract with the French club expires.
Others, on the other hand, were more conflicted about the prospect of Messi coming back to the club, despite the fact that president Joan Laporta had promised that the club would “do everything” to recruit him.
Anabel Sanz, who is 16, has mixed feelings about the possibility. “On the one hand, I would like it because it would bring back a lot of excitement,” she said.
“But on the other hand, I think not because it would mean rebuilding the team again, and in the long run, that would hurt us, and it would not be good.” “But on the other hand, I think not because it would mean rebuilding the team again.”
Messi, who will age 36 in June, is Barcelona’s all-time leading scorer. He bid a sorrowful farewell to the club in 2021 when they were unable to afford to renew his contract because he was their all-time leading scorer. Messi’s birthday is in June.
According to Josep Martinez, who is 60 years old, Barcelona has to win more games and make it all the way to the semi-finals and finals of the Champions League.
“It’s difficult not because of Messi’s age to know (if he should return),” the analyst said. The question is, why does he come, and what is the purpose of his visit?
“Is he come here to contend for his position, or what? … I’m not sure if it’s the greatest thing for the squad, but it may be.”