Exuberant Real Madrid footballers rode triumphantly back into town on Thursday morning with the Spanish cup in their hands, but then accidentally dropped it from the top of a double-decker bus — which ran over it.
Defender Sergio Ramos was at the front of the top deck as the bus neared the central Cibeles fountain where Real Madrid fans traditionally gather to celebrate their victories.
A 1-0 win over arch-rival Barcelona in the
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Ramos had the huge cup perched on his head and appeared to be trying to jump up and down with team-mates when it slipped from his hands. The trophy fell on to the tarmac in front of the moving bus and was run over. “The cup has fallen!” Ramos cried out.
No damage
TV pictures showed the cup disappearing under the slow-moving bus at a spot close to its right front wheel. The bus came to halt while some players peered over the edge to see where the cup had gone and others continued to bounce up and down.
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A group of firemen and police then appeared to recover the cup, which was not seen again as the party continued. El Mundo 's website reported that the cup had been smashed into 10 different pieces. But Ramos later told the Telemadrid TV station: “The cup is all right.”
The incident did not prevent Real Madrid fans enjoying their victory over Barcelona in the clubs' second of four encounters in just 18 days.
© Guardian Newspapers Limited, 2011