Atlético Madrid’s fans commune in the car park as La Liga title gets closer | Sid Lowe
13-May-2021 18:25:31 | The Guardian
Chants from Car Park B of the Wanda Metropolitano helped get an agonised Atlético over the line against Real Sociedad
The Atlético Madrid fans at the Metropolitano didn’t watch the match that took the club to within touching distance of the league title, but they lived it. Still not allowed in but determined not to be left out, if they couldn’t see their players on Wednesday night their players could hear them, song drifting in through the open southeastern corner of the stadium. Supporters gathered in Car Park B beneath the biggest flagpole in Spain, the 338 square metres of red and white that normally fly from it taken down because of the wind on this night of all nights, while on the other side the players clung on to the lead that carried them close, so close, to becoming champions.
Diego Simeone called the suffering “unnecessary” – but, at the end of his 500th first-team game for the club he joined at eight, Koke said: “We’re Atléti and if we didn’t suffer it wouldn’t be us.” This 2-1 win against Real Sociedad leaves them top with two matches left, and the captain said: “We heard the fans from out there and we needed them, especially for that extra effort in the final minutes.” And he was right.
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