Thousands of Athletic Bilbao fans have descended on the River Nervión in the Basque city to welcome their Copa Del Rey-winning heroes.
Athletic ended a 40-year wait for a trophy last Saturday night when Ernesto Valverde's side beat Mallorca 4-2 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in the Spanish Cup final.
The last time they won a major trophy, Spanish Super Cups aside, was all the way back in 1984, when they won a La Liga and Copa Del Rey double, which followed on from league success in 1983.
Despite their barren years, Bilbao have enjoyed unwavering support in the city and the recent success resulted in an emotional release on Thursday afternoon.
40 años de espera para ver la #Gabarra han merecido la pena. pic.twitter.com/DfYau3v2FL
— Alvaro Gotxi (@agotxi) April 11, 2024
Athletic Bilbao's Copa Del Rey winning-squad sail down river in barge
Athletic Bilbao has a unique policy which means that they only sign players who were born in the Basque country, or learned their trade at a Basque club. This arguably makes the scenes all the more poignant, as supporters may feel more of a connection with the squad.
They gathered in their droves as Valverde as his team, featuring a number of Spain internationals and former Manchester United midfielder Ander Herrera, sailed down the river on a barge showing off their new piece of silverware.
The team were surrounded by rowing boats and were faced with a sea of red and white on the riverbanks, as supporters made their appreciation known.
❤️ 𝗨𝗡𝗜𝗤𝗨𝗘 𝗜𝗡 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗟𝗗#UniqueInTheWorld 🏆 #AthleticClub 🦁 pic.twitter.com/HOqUNd8E7l
— Athletic Club (@AthleticClub) April 11, 2024
It's a day that will never be forgotten in Bilbao, and Athletic could spark more celebrations in the coming weeks if they can secure Champions League qualification for the first time since 2014/15.
The team are currently fifth in the Spanish league, two points behind Atletico Madrid in fourth with eight games to go.
See Also: Irish MEP Mick Wallace Sends Strange Message To Serie A Club In European Parliament
