Atletico Madrid fans stage car park party in Valladolid after dramatic La Liga title win

Atletico Madrid
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Atletico Madrid are the champions of Spain for an 11th time.

They clinched the La Liga title on a dramatic Saturday evening in front of an empty stadium in Valladolid… but their fans were there in some number.

Thousands of Atleti supporters travelled to north from Madrid to be as close to the action as they possibly could.

The city was a sea of red and white before the game, then the mob moved to the Estadio Jose Zorrilla car park in time for kick-off.

Viewers watching Valladolid vs Atletico at home could have been forgiven for thinking they were listening to pre-recorded crowd noise, which has become the new normal during the covid pandemic.

But the chants booming through their TV sets were coming from just outside the stadium walls.

Atleti fans were not celebrating all game though, as relegation battlers Valladolid scored first when Oscar Plano netted 18 minutes in.

If Atleti didn’t win, that would open the door for Real, who were at home to Villarreal. But seconds after Atleti went behind, so did Real back in the Spanish capital. Breathing room for Atleti?

Diego Simeone’s men didn’t want to test their luck. They knew a win would guarantee them the title, regardless of what Real did.

Midway through the second half Atleti were winning, thanks to strikes from Angel Correa and Luis Suarez, who would later be pictured in tears of joy.

Atleti were winning, Real were losing. The result of the title race for once looked clear… until Real scored twice in the last five minutes to turn around their clash with Villarreal. Atleti were still ahead but they had no margin for error. Concede now and the title would be lost.

The final moments in Valladolid were tense, but when the full-time whistle finally came celebrations erupted – not just on the pitch, but in the car park too.

Valladolid were relegated, but like it or not, they were hosting the biggest party in Spain tonight.