PHOTO: AFP
MADRID: Thousands of euphoric Liverpool fans, chanting "champions" and clad in their team's red colours, took to the streets of Madrid to celebrate victory in their Champions League final against Tottenham.
Liverpool supporters erupted in delight at Madrid's Wanda Metropolitano stadium after Saturday's 2-0 Champions League victory over Spurs, which gave the team its sixth European Cup.
"Unbelievable, I can't believe we did it again. What a club. What a fan base. What a team. That's what we are all about," said 32-year-old Craig Williams who came to Madrid from Liverpool for the match.
"We have come back from last year's disappointments...we come to Madrid this year, and we won it. Yes! Come on!".
A year ago Liverpool lost the Champions League final 3-1 to Real Madrid in Kiev after Egyptian forward Mohamed Salah was forced to go off injured and in tears.
This time around Salah gave Liverpool the perfect start to the match by converting a penalty to open the scoring in the second minute.
"It's incredible. In one minute, two minutes and there is a penalty, and it changes the entire game," said Diego Martinez, a 41-year-old lawyer and Tottenham fan who came to Madrid for the match from Mexico City.
"This penalty changes the game, and the tactics maybe for the team," he added outside the stadium as jubilant Liverpool supporters celebrated around him.
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Some fans held up six figures or chanted "Six times! Six times! Six times!" as they left the stadium.
Others raised red and white team scarves over their heads or chanted "Champions!" as they made their way from the stadium to nearby metro stations.
Mohamed Elneanaey, a 28-year-old who came from Egypt for the match and bears a striking resemblance to Liverpool's Salah, was mobbed by fans outside of the stadium who wanted to pose for selfies with him.
"We are celebrating now. It's big. It's gonna be amazing. We are celebrating here with guys and, then we will go to the streets to celebrate," he said as people around him jokingly called out "Salah! Salah".
Paul Jordan, a 33-year-old shop manager, who flew to the Spanish capital from Liverpool via Prague to be at the match because he could not get a direct flight, said he planned to celebrate the win with his friends "until Monday here in Madrid".
"This is an incredible feeling," he added.
The authorities estimate around 32,000 ticket-holding fans from both teams attended the match at the 68,000-capacity Wanda Metropolitano stadium.
Hundreds of extra flights to the Spanish capital were added and the Madrid hotel association estimates that a total of 70,000 English fans will spend the weekend in the city because of the match.
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