Champions League - Huge crowd welcomes Barca

Eurosport - Fri, 29 May 08:13:00 2009

Treble-winners Barcelona finally met their match on the streets of their home city as up to a million fans flocked to welcome them home from their Champions League final triumph.

FOOTBALL Members of Barcelona football team wave to the crowd as they celebrate their Champions League victory from the top of a bus along the streets of Barcelona - 0

The Catalans have outplayed all comers to win La Liga, Copa del Rey and now the Champions League, but they struggled to make their way through the crowds to the Nou Camp to complete their celebrations.

Having beaten Manchester United 2-0 in Rome on Wednesday, the squad flew back to Barcelona on Thursday afternoon and it was coach Pep Guardiola and captain Carles Puyol who carried the European Cup down the steps from the plane.

They boarded an open-top bus and with the trophies propped up inside the front windscreen, set off for a journey that would take over three hours. A second bus drove behind pumping out music.

Spanish media reported that up to a million fans thronged the streets to greet them.

The players, who all wore blue shirts emblazoned with "Cup, League and Champions", danced, sang songs, waved flags and sprayed drinks over the fans.

The club threw open the doors of the Nou Camp and a capacity 98,000 crowd had to wait for over an hour past the scheduled arrival time for the team to make their entrance and kick off the evening's festivities.

After the final on Wednesday night, around 100,000 fans celebrated in the centre of Barcelona, but events turned ugly later on.

Local police told Spanish media they had detained 119 people mainly for public disorder offences and causing damage. Medical services dealt with injuries to 153 people, with 23 needing hospital treatment.

Reuters

Comment 46 - 65 of 85

Sort comments by: Most recent

  1. Atlético Madrid and Liverpool 1-1 and 1-1 in the group­ stages of the champions league same with MU Vs­ Villarreal
    0-0 and 0-0 strange how 1 good result makes­ people forget (the madrid result)

    From jomc_1999, on Fri 29 May 11:27AM

  2. next season barca vs real/sevilla final
    la liga rulez­ europe

    From black, on Fri 29 May 11:23AM

  3. barcelona played a total of 66 games this season!! more­ than any other team in europe or the world and just one­ short of milan's record of 67. that makes that­ achievement so extraordinary. bravo barca you make us,­ barca fans, proud

    From Varnavas P, on Fri 29 May 11:16AM

  4. and sorry liverpool fans if barca had scored early­ against you they would have played you off the park­ too.

    From jomc_1999, on Fri 29 May 11:07AM

  5. this is for black d couldn't agree more about the­ difference in class between the spanish league and the­ premiership really glad it was proven once again that­ teams that actually go out to play FOOTBALL WIN most of­ the time and the strikers that left England to go to­ Spain did it for a reason and they did it in there­ prime.The spanish league play's a higher brand of­ football through out its league than the premiership­ all people have to do is watch it and if they know­ anything about football they'll agree with us and­ not believe the propaganda that swarms the english game­ every week. If you premiership fan are into watching­ the football in the air more than on the ground­ that's your personal choice but find it boring and­ im sick of listening to the english media prasing this­ football tenis style of football it's not a proven­ wining style and never will be.

    From jomc_1999, on Fri 29 May 10:45AM

  6. When a top EPL club tries to play Barça straight up­ without the benefit of using their talor-made for Barça­ "park the bus " strategy , they LOSE .­ Witness Manchester United who were humiliated and­ outclassed . Technically La Liga is far superior than­ the EPL . Vidic and Ferdinand were embarrased by moves­ from Eto'O and Henry respectively . EPL defenders­ are big brutes but short on brains . The better team­ won . Live with it !!

    From Tim, on Fri 29 May 10:31AM

  7. Bravo Barcelona you are winer champion league , ale­ ale also hope that next year I win the champion league­ see you next season

    From Driton, on Fri 29 May 10:01AM

  8. as i said uefa must give la liga 6 place in CL
    WE are­ at the moment over the italian and english

    From black, on Fri 29 May 9:59AM

  9. well said xs put the scum in there place pal you would­ think barca were there second team scummy f==kers jump­ on someone elses success cos they aint got any

    From DAZGGMU-RED-LEGEND-OF-YAHOO, on Fri 29 May 9:52AM

  10. congrats to barca and there fans hope to meet you next­ season for revenge well done

    From DAZGGMU-RED-LEGEND-OF-YAHOO, on Fri 29 May 9:50AM

  11. follow liverpool in buy alot of spanish players and­ couch

    From black, on Fri 29 May 9:49AM

  12. Marge Simpson great Liverpool fan you are, I'm a­ United fan and I know it was PAISLEY who won 3 european­ cups, Shankly only one. So Fergie has already beaten­ 'your Shanks' and you know nothing, just like­ the rest of your idiotic bin raiding scum supporting­ buddies from ANFAILED, home of no trophies

    From XS, on Fri 29 May 9:47AM

  13. follow liverpool in buy alot of spanish players and­ couch

    From black, on Fri 29 May 9:46AM

  14. all what i know is in european history our la liga is­ better than you 4+16 league(premier league)
    because­ every year there is more than 15 point gap btwn 4th and­ 5th
    but the facts are painful
    even 2 from the big 4 are­ not that good, i mean arsenal and chelsea, what did­ they win in european comptition? simply nothing.
    our­ valencia have better history wining 3 uefa cup and­ reaching 3 finals, even sevilla have won recently 2­ uefa cup in row
    you have seen athletico and­ villareal.
    there is other way to compair, look at mega­ star which play in la liga they are by far better and­ to much compair
    for examp strikers ­ aguero,forlan,messi,eto,henry,fabiano,rossi,van­ nisterlroy,higuin,kanoute,lorentti,raul,villa,mata,mori­ entes,nihat,olivera,robenn and huntelar
    midfield­ xavi,snijder,senna,iniesta,cazorla,maxi,semao,maniche,y­ aya tore,vander­ vart,juaquin,pablo,peres,emana,garcia,granero,kaita,per­ otti,navas,adriano,silva and the list goes
    i have named­ 40 top stars midfield and attack, in EPL there may be­ only 15
    many have been exported from here to know what­ i mean look at liverpol

    From black, on Fri 29 May 9:36AM

  15. just as max & benie is destroying formula 1 that is­ also how platini will destroy the champion league,i­ don't think barca should be in the final,all the­ same congratulation barca fantastic football

    From uchdido, on Fri 29 May 9:35AM

  16. follow: twitter /fcb

    From gAAnAgAA, on Fri 29 May 9:22AM

  17. Barca were a joy to watch,they out classed MU from the­ whistle.there skill is magical to watch.they ran rings­ round MU.at least the win stops us from being drowned­ by the overkill we would of had on TV.of the­ `fantastic`MU.
    Fergi was out to beat OUR Shanks­ record.of 3 European Cups.NO CHANCE .Red nose you will­ never match him,,
    Fantastic game Barca..

    From Marge Simpson., on Fri 29 May 8:50AM

  18. Barca did outplay us the other night. Congrats to them.­ We just couldn't seem to get going. Not too many­ worries though. Been a brilliant season. Barca and Utd­ head and shoulders above everyone else in Europe. I see­ the same final again next year!! Ronaldo should go!!­ Bring in a couple of world class players and next­ season will be special.

    From terri, on Fri 29 May 8:49AM

  19. Always like a good bus ride, open top nice fresh air

    From ispurs, on Fri 29 May 8:24AM

  20. CONGRATS TO BARCA AND ITS FANS BUT REMEMBER YOU DIDNT­ BEAT THE BEST TEAM IN EPL.ManU IS JUST BETTER AND NOT­ THE BEST THIS SEASON.THE WORLD WOULD HAVE WATCHED AN­ EXITING MATCH BETWEEN BARCA AND THE MIGHTY REDS.THIS­ FINAL WAS TOTALLY ONE SIDED AND ITS NOT WORTH A­ FINAL.ManU DISGRACED THE ENTIRE EPL.

    From Michael, on Fri 29 May 8:19AM
Sort comments by: Most recent

Not already a Yahoo! user ? to get a free Yahoo! Account