Barcelona's streets turn red and blue as league champions parade through the city

Barcelona (CNA).- From an open top bus, FC Barcelona showed off their 22^nd Spanish League title through the streets of the Catalan capital on Monday evening .The parade, which started at 6.30pm at the port of Barcelona and ended at Plaça Doctor Ignasi Barraquer, took a four kilometre tour of the city. All the streets turned claret and blue as fans turned out in number to salute their heroes.

Barcelona’s male first team wasn’t the only one to take part in the parade. The women’s team, which won the league title for the second year in a row, also joined the parade and rode a bus that led the festive parade. The atmosphere was already electric before the players passed by as Plaça Catalunya rang out to the sound of thousands of fans chanting the players names. The team anthem ‘El Cant del Barça’, echoed throughout the streets as no matter how young or old, everyone was singing.

A small truck led the parade delivering free flags that combined Barça’s colours with the Catalan flag, followed by hundreds of fans desperate to grab hold of one. A Horse Guard followed as did a large police presence before the buses came into view.

The players also joined in the fun as they partied on top of the bus, danced and recorded their own version of the parade with their mobile phones as the confetti machines blasted out to the music. Everyone Barça player wore a special champions T-shirt emblazoned with all the team’s 22 league titles. Dani Alves, as spectacular as always, even wore a blazer combined with a ‘Catalan barretina’, a typical Catalan hat. Lights flashed throughout the route as fans tried to take photos of their idols who didn’t stop laughing and joking throughout the entire parade. Tito Vilanova, Barça’s coach, and the player Eric Abidal, were the most acclaimed persons, as they have both beaten cancer this season. The team captain Carles Puyol along with Alves were the two Barça players who stood out the most as they didn’t stop dancing, shouting and singing throughout the whole route. Leo Messi, the best football player in the world and arguable Barça’s biggest star, was more restrained and remained seated at the top of the bus all along the parade.

Barça was declared Spanish League champion on Saturday when rival local team Espanyol drew with Real Madrid but celebrations kicked off in earnest when the team beat Atletico de Madrid 1-2 on Sunday evening.

The final act of these celebrations will take place next Sunday after the match against Valladolid at the Camp Nou when the players, coaches and technical staff will make their traditional end of season speeches in front of the home fans.