Barcelona/Madrid – Spanish fans were in tears on Tuesday The team crashed out of the World Cup on penalties to Morocco, From Barcelona to Madrid to the Melilla enclave, his fans filled the streets with cheers, flares and flags.
Crowds gathered in bars decorated with red and yellow Spanish flags to watch the team play, but the Moroccan supporters beat Spain 3-0 on penalties to secure their ticket to the quarterfinals. I won the night.
Madrid-born Moroccan Achraf Hakimi scored the decisive spot kick.
Spain and Morocco have a long history of conflict and mutual cultural influence, dating back to the 8th-century Muslim conquest of Iberia and the subsequent Spanish Reconquista.
Spanish fans were disappointed to see their team drop out of the tournament.
“We will go back to Spain in tears. We will have to reflect,” said 21-year-old Julia Calbet at a bar in Barcelona.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez sent a swift message of consolation, tweeting, “You have excited us and made us proud.”
The Spanish royal family tweeted, “Nothing ends here… Keep moving forward, keep competing, keep fighting.”
Some fans were philosophical about the defeat after Spain dominated possession but were unable to break through a solid Moroccan defense.
“They have never let me down because they played so well, but it’s a little sad. Against Morocco, a team that is not very strong, we could have won… they always I’ve been playing defensively,” said Rafael Gomes, 27, who was watching the game from a bar in Barcelona draped with Spanish flags.
But it was a very different night for Spanish Moroccans, the largest expat community, accounting for 16% of all expatriates, according to official data.
In Barcelona, Moroccan fans gathered in the central Raval district to celebrate, light fires and sing songs.
“We had to win so that Moroccans could feel confident in Spain,” Anas, a 22-year-old Moroccan cook, told Reuters in downtown Barcelona. “And I want to go to the final!”
In Melilla, Spain’s North African enclave that borders Morocco, people took to the streets to celebrate by cheering, dancing and honking their horns, state broadcaster TVE said.
Spanish police had deployed additional officers in case of post-match commotion, but the celebrations were mostly peaceful.
Spain retained the former colonial enclaves of Melilla and Ceuta after Morocco gained independence in 1956. – Reuters
https://www.tnp.sg/sports/football/world-cup-spain-mourning-after-teams-shock-exit-hands-morocco World Cup: Spain in mourning after team’s shock exit at the hands of Morocco , Latest Football News