Against All Odds: Atleti in the Camp Nou

Against All Odds: Atleti in the Camp Nou

Anthony Lopopolo was at the Camp Nou, camera in hand, to capture some of the scenes over the weekend.

A few seconds after Alexis Sanchez scored that first goal for Barcelona, an Atletico Madrid fan tucked underneath an overhang in Camp Nou held his head in his hands and couldn’t control the tears. He thought it was over.

Both Diego Costa and Arda Turan had gone off with injuries. It looked like Atletico were going to lose the league in the final game at Camp Nou. Then Diego Godin scored off a header, and the fan leapt. He was leading chants the rest of the game, a small section of Atletico supporters in the bottom corner of the stadium.

After the final whistle, signaling a the title-clinching draw for Atletico, a Barca fan turned around and shook his rival’s hands. Those remaining applauded Atletico. They know what it takes to win.

Barcelona just didn’t do enough in the last few games. Javier Mascherano called it the end of a cycle. He himself may be leaving. He was the best player for Barcelona, timing perfect tackles, last-ditch, on the run. He was still playing as a centre back in a team desperately in need if them this summer.

Yet for all their defensive frailties, Barça actually could not score enough. They had just nine goals in their final eight games of the season.

The Barca fans reluctantly accepted the result. They showed class in defeat. They came down from higher seats to witness the rightful champions. No heckling, no insults.

And Atletico celebrated away from home, perhaps fitting for a team that have stretched its boundaries in popularity and performance. The actual title was there to be lifted—the players instead posed all together with a bottle of champagne in the forefront. They didn’t care.