Saturday April 18 should have seen the final of Spain’s Copa del Rey in the Estadio de la Cartuja in Seville between Athletic Bilbao and Real Sociedad.
It would have been the first time the two traditional rivals from the Basque region in the north of Spain have ever met in the Cup’s final.
Around 80,000 fans were expected to make the 900-kilometre journey south.
But the COVID-19 crisis has put the Cup final on hold, with no date set for it to eventually be played.
However, supporters of both clubs decided that even though they were in lockdown, there was no reason to forget their loyalties.
READ ALSO: Breaking: Valencia beat Barcelona to win Copa Del Rey
All over the Basque region, supporters of Athletic and “La Real’’ decided to hold their own “Balcony Cup final’’.
Fans of both teams hung flags, banners and scarves from their balconies, while wearing the colors they would have worn in Seville and playing their traditional club songs.
Buildings in and around San Sebastian were decked in Real Sociedad’s blue and white, while in Bilbao, Athletic’s red and white seemed to hang from every window.
Some fans even reenacted the club’s traditional celebrations of a parade on a barge through the city —- although this time, the barge had to make it from one balcony to another.
Meanwhile, players from both teams, such as Iker Muniain, Aritz Elustondo and Inaki Williams, made a joint video.
They thanked health workers and told fans to look ahead to when the final can at last be held.
(NAN)
Leave a Reply