La Décima, from Madrid by Ale Franco @_alefranco_
Atleti, Atleti!
That chant could be heard down the streets of my apartment in Embajadores, the area of Madrid where Calderon stadium is located. I had been living in Madrid for 5 months already and as the week of the Champions League final approached; the chants were getting louder and the tension growing stronger.
I left Santiago Bernabéu stadium and headed to my apartment on the afternoon of May 17, 2014. Real Madrid had just defeated Espanyol 3-1 but the Liga was over. We were all focused on the most important match, the Champions League final. It was Atleti clinching the Liga championship that fueled the fire in Madrid. The team that was once known as an unworthy rival became just that, a worthy one.
Saturday May 24th, 2014. I was meeting with my friends at Santiago Bernabéu stadium once more to watch the Champions League final. There were still about 4 hours until the game began but outside my window there it was once more, “Atleti, Atleti” chants over and over. I put on my Real Madrid jersey, held my head high and headed to Santiago Bernabéustadium. Stares and mumbles followed me, and the nerves grew. The atmosphere inside Santiago Bernabéu stadium was unlike anything I have ever experienced. It was nervousness mixed with anticipation but overall, there was this electricity and optimism. Como no te voy a querer, como no te voy a querer, si fuiste campeón de Europa por novena vez! We chanted over and over, louder and stronger each time in the hopes of sending positive vibes all the way to our boys in Lisbon.
The game begins and we know the rest, Atleti takes the lead before halftime and the pressure begins. There was anxiety inside the stadium; the chances Real Madrid continued to create kept us believing that a goal was coming soon. It was the 89th minute and I refused to believe Real Madrid was going to give up La Décima by one goal. At the 90th, I got on my knees and watched the final minutes through the handrails of the stadium. I kept repeating “No, this can’t end like this, it can’t, it can’t, it can’t.”