Real Madrid celebrates Spanish league title with fans after reaching Champions League final

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Real Madrid team players celebrate on an open-topped bus in Cibeles Square a week after clinching La Liga title in Madrid, Spain, Sunday, May 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Paul White)

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Real Madrid players walk through a guard of honor from the Granada team prior to a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Granada FC and Real Madrid at Los Carmanes stadium in Granada, Spain, Saturday, May 11, 2024. The Real Madrid has won its 36th Spanish league title. (AP Photo/Fermin Rodriguez)

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Real Madrid team players, center of fountain, celebrate in Cibeles Square a week after clinching La Liga title in Madrid, Spain, Sunday, May 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Paul White)

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Real Madrid team players celebrate on an open-topped bus in Cibeles Square a week after clinching La Liga title in Madrid, Spain, Sunday, May 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Paul White)

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Real Madrid team players celebrate on an open-topped bus in Cibeles Square a week after clinching La Liga title in Madrid, Spain, Sunday, May 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Paul White)

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Real Madrid team players celebrate at the Cibeles Square a week after clinching the Spanish La Liga soccer title in Madrid, Sunday, May 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

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Real Madrid’s Nacho Fernandez holds their 36th Liga trophy during celebration at the Cibeles Square a week after clinching Spanish La Liga soccer title in Madrid, Sunday, May 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

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Real Madrid supporters celebrate on top of a bus stop in Cibeles Square a week after their team clinched La Liga title in Madrid, Spain, Sunday, May 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Paul White)

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Real Madrid team players celebrate on an open-topped bus in Cibeles Square a week after clinching La Liga title in Madrid, Spain, Sunday, May 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Paul White)

By TALES AZZONI

MADRID (AP) — Real Madrid celebrated its Spanish league title with fans on Sunday, meeting with government officials and parading through the streets of the capital.

Madrid clinched its 36th league title last weekend, with four rounds to spare, but it couldn’t celebrate the triumph right away because it still had to play the second leg of the semifinals of the Champions League.

Madrid rallied with two late goals by striker Joselu to defeat Bayern Munich 2-1 on Wednesday at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, advancing 3-2 on aggregate to the final against Borussia Dortmund on June 1 in London.

“I’m sure that in three weeks we will be back here,” Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos said while addressing the crowd on Sunday.

Several thousand fans greeted the squad as it paraded through the city and headed to the club’s traditional celebration spot at Cibeles square. Team captain Nacho Fernández draped the statue of the goddess Cybele with a Madrid flag and scarf, then lifted the league trophy as fans cheered.

The trophy was handed to the team during a ceremony at the club’s training center.

Coach Carlo Ancelotti wore a Real Madrid scarf and posed for photos with players while smoking a cigar and wearing sun glasses.

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Madrid usually also celebrates its titles with fans at the Bernabeu, but the stadium was being used for a concert on Sunday.

Madrid won 4-0 at relegated Granada on Saturday, with Granada players keeping the guard of honor tradition of lining up to applaud the champions as they entered the field before kickoff.

Most players and club president Florentino Pérez spoke to the crowd, which chanted some of the team’s traditional fighting songs.

“This team overcame a situation that looked irreversible,” Pérez said, referring to the series of injuries that affected players early in the season, including serious knee ligament tears by Thibaut Courtois, Éder Militão and David Alaba.

Nacho led a round of applause to the three injured players.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer