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01:55
To celebrate or not to celebrate? That was the question for Real Madrid fans as their team won the La Liga title for the 34th time on Thursday.
However, for a football-mad city like Madrid it was perhaps too much to expect fans NOT to mark the capital club's triumph.
A muted celebration
The Cibeles fountain in the centre of the Spanish capital is where the club's supporters traditionally come to celebrate.
Despite an earlier request from Real Madrid asking for fans to stay away, some couldn't resist. A heavy police presence did ensure that any fans who weren't socially distancing were soon moved on.
For some fans, even though the celebrations were muted, it was still an emotional moment.
"I'm happy, very happy," said Real Madrid fan Cristian, "because after everything that has happened this year with the pandemic, with so many that have died in Madrid, we have to try and celebrate this victory in their memory. I had many friends and some have died who were from Real Madrid. So in their memory this title is very special because everything that has happened."
Andres Diaz was another supporter celebrating at Cibeles.
"I'm studying here and was hoping this year to celebrate as it's deserved," he said. "But it's complicated with all this issue. Now the important thing is to be conscious of the situation and we will see how we celebrate. But of course we will celebrate it."
Real Madrid asked its fans to stay at home after the team won the Spanish league title but some just could not stay away. /AP
The large police deployment in Madrid may have been partly influenced by scenes three weeks ago in Liverpool.
Thousands came out onto the streets to celebrate Liverpool FC's first top-flight league title in 30 years. Social distancing went out of the window, and local authorities condemned the behaviour.
Fear of a second wave of COVID-19
In Spain the authorities are getting increasingly nervous of a possible second wave of coronavirus outbreaks.
The Catalan city of Lleida has already been forced back into lockdown following a surge in new cases, while on Thursday Catalonia as a whole recorded its highest number of new COVID-19 infections for two months.
The large amount of police on Madrid's streets on Thursday night showed just how much the authorities fear a second wave. The challenge for the government will be how to be ensure the public don't let their guard down against the virus as Spain edges back to normality.
Video editing: Terry Wilson
