Madrid -
Madrid received the players of the Spanish basketball team as heroes on Monday, after their resounding victory against Argentina in Beijing, making them the world champions.
With shouts of "champions, champions!", the players paraded through the city center in a bus, surrounded by thousands of fans.
Upon arriving at the stage set up in the central Plaza de Colón, they were cheered one by one, in a night that did not lack the classic song "We are the Champions", by the band Queen.
- Ecuadorian referee Carlos Peralta at the China World Cup
"Do you know why this team has become world champions? Because they never gave up when things were tough", said coach Sergio Scariolo from the stage.
"Giving up was never an option", added the coach the day after the 95-75 victory against Luis Scola's Argentina, and after a hard-fought semifinal against Australia.
"Thanks to my family, and to my second family, which is this great team. Long live Spanish basketball!" shouted team captain Rudy Fernández, 34 years old.
- Saving basketball
"The final was incredible, it demonstrated the team's integrity", said a fan, Alejandro García, a young lawyer, to AFP. According to him, the best thing was "the spirit that the team transmits to the country, a team that seemed to be finished, and suddenly is reborn. It has been a boost of energy".
"Ricky Rubio has had the World Cup of his life", added another fan, Rafael Luque, referring to the Spanish point guard recognized as the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the final, played in Beijing.
The team arrived in Madrid in the afternoon, where Rudy Fernández was in charge of getting off the plane with the trophy in hand, the second basketball World Cup for Spain after the one won in 2006 against Greece.
The players, including stars Marc Gasol and Sergio Llull, were successively received by the kings of Spain, Felipe VI and Letizia, and by the president of the government, socialist Pedro Sánchez.
- Upset in the Basketball World Cup due to the fall of the US team after 13 years
"You have left us with many sensations", said Pedro Sánchez, who in his youth was a basketball player for the Estudiantes team in Madrid.
"Thank you from the bottom of my heart as the president of the government for taking the colors of Spain to the highest point, to the world championship", added the president.
Spain succeeds the United States in the World Cup, a team that has won the gold medal in the last three Olympic Games.
The 'Team USA' traveled to China with notable absences and was eliminated in the quarterfinals, losing to France, who was defeated by Argentina in the semifinals. (D)