Sunday was a glorious day in the history of Spanish sport.
Earlier in the day, Carlos Alcaraz won his second consecutive Wimbledon title after dismantling Novak Djokovic in straight sets in the final on Centre Court, a victory that was followed up by the men’s national soccer team deservedly beating England 2-1 in the Euro 2024 final.
Spain’s King Felipe VI and his daughter Infanta Sofía joined the team in the celebrations on the pitch, holding the trophy with Spanish squad.
Several of the Spanish national team’s legends were also in attendance to celebrate the country’s record-breaking fourth European Championship.
Andrés Iniesta posted a photo alongside David Villa, the country’s all-time record goalscorer, and Xavi in the Olympiastadion in Berlin.
Xavi and Iniesta played key roles in La Roja winning three successive international trophies between 2008 and 2012, while Villa was integral to Spain winning Euro 2008 and the 2010 World Cup.
The Spanish press reveled in the success of their sporting heroes, with newspaper ‘Sport’ running with the front page headline ‘Super champions!’ alongside a photo of Alcaraz and the national team.
“Monday is a day of celebration and euphoria in Spain,” the paper reads. “After a historic Sunday with Carlos Alcaraz’s Wimbledon title and the men’s senior team’s Euro Cup, today it’s time to get all the accumulated adrenaline out in Madrid.”
Alcaraz might join the celebrations of the national team, Sport reported, due to his friendship with captain Alvaro Morata.
The team is expected to land in Madrid at 2:10 p.m. local time, before meeting with the king and then the president.
The celebrations will pass through the city, ending at the Cibeles square.
“We will see what part Alcaraz takes in all this celebration, but it is possible that he will be like another player throughout the celebration,” the Sport report added. “Something, without a doubt, unique.”
‘Diario AS’ front page read: “Spain is in glory.”
“Summer night, heat, open windows, shouts in the neighbourhood and the occasional firework,” Diario AS’s Alfredo Relaño. “A happy night after what was also a happy afternoon, with Carlos Alcaraz beating Djokovic with enormous superiority in the Wimbledon final.
“With the same merit, but with somewhat more difficulty, this team won the Eurocup, having shown that it is worth much more than most of us thought.”
Newspaper ‘Mundo Deportivo’ ran with the simple front headline: “Champions!”
“The Spanish football team is the best in Europe,” Mundo Deportivo’s Santi Nolla wrote. “Without a doubt. Carlos Alcaraz is a world-class tennis star. He proved it by beating Djokovic at Wimbledon. An impressive double that has turned the attention of sporting Europe to the south, where work is good and where very young players with a lot of talent emerge.
“The two triumphs have something in common: the sense of team, even though one is a collective sport and the other an individual one. The attitude of the group has been crucial to Spain winning its fourth European Championship and Carlos Alcaraz overflows with talent with a key team to create the most suitable environment for a very young champion.
“Spanish sport made history yesterday by placing the national team as the country that has won the most European Championships and with an extraordinary tennis player who scored his second grand slam on grass, his fourth in total.”
While Sunday will be a day Serbian tennis fans and English football fans will want to forget, Spain will remember it for years to come.
