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IN IMAGES: Argentina fans take over Spain’s cities after World Cup win

Thousands of Argentinians took to the streets of Madrid, Barcelona and other city centres across Spain to celebrate their national side’s victory against France in the World Cup final on Sunday.  

IN IMAGES: Argentina fans take over Spain's cities after World Cup win
Argentina fans celebrate their team's victory in the Qatar 2022 World Cup final football match against France, in Madrid on December 18, 2022. (Photos by OSCAR DEL POZO / AFP)

Many of the roughly 100,000 Argentinians who have made Spain their home celebrated en masse the victory of la albiceleste until the early hours of Sunday night, packing squares, honking horns, chanting football songs and adorning everything in white and light blue. 

Argentina’s World Cup victory against France on penalties after an exhilarating 3-3 draw saw an explosion of joy among Argentinians the world around, and Spain was no exception. 

By midday in Madrid, there was a 50-metre queue outside nightclub Shoko, where Argentina fans gathered to watch their team on a big screen. 

When the winning penalty was scored, they exploded onto the streets, filling the Spanish capital’s Puerta del Sol square to the brim. 

Celebrations at times got out of hand, with some fans trying to climb the giant Christmas tree in Madrid’s iconic square.

Riot police had to be called in to assist and two people were arrested. 

In Barcelona, 10,000 people gathered at the city’s Arc de Triomf, lighting the sky red with flares and letting off fireworks, but fortunately there were no arrests or accidents reported.

Barcelona and Argentina share a common idol in Lionel Messi, who scored two goals in the final and was chosen player of the tournament. 

In Valencia, Argentina fans gathered in front of the town hall to celebrate. In Málaga, they gathered at River Plate’s youth academy branch. Similar scenes were witnessed in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Seville, Bilbao and other cities across the territory.  

Spain’s cultural and linguistic links with Argentina run deep, as together with Italians, Spaniards made up the majority of the migrants that turned modern Argentina into a European melting pot in the late 19th century and early 20th century.

In more recent years, the trend has been reversed, with large migration flows every time an economic crisis hits the Argentine peso.

So far in 2022, more than 33,000 Argentine nationals have moved to Spain, the highest number in 14 years. 

Many of them have Italian passports, which partly explains why the biggest foreign population group in Barcelona are Italians. 

But under Spain’s new Grandchildren Law, many thousands of Argentine nationals will be able to claim Spanish citizenship, in plenty of cases without having ever lived in Spain.

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FOOTBALL

El Clásico overshadowed by Barcelona referee corruption charge

Spain's Clásico is one of the world's biggest sporting occasions, pitting giants Barcelona and Real Madrid head-to-head, but the build-up to Sunday's La Liga clash has been overshadowed by "Caso Negreira."

El Clásico overshadowed by Barcelona referee corruption charge

Barca have been charged with corruption by Spanish prosecutors for payments between 2001 and 2018 to the company of former refereeing chief Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, totalling around €7.3 million ($7.8 million).

The club say they were paying for reports and advice on refereeing but prosecutors have accused the club of seeking to gain favourable decision-making from officials.

READ ALSO: Spain falls further in international corruption league tables

Charges were filed last week against Barcelona, former vice president of Spain’s refereeing committee (CTA), Negreira, and two former Barcelona presidents, Sandro Rosell and Josep Maria Bartomeu, among others.

Although La Liga leaders Barcelona can virtually clinch the title if they beat second-place Real Madrid on Sunday to move 12 points clear, headlines remain dominated by the Negreira case, with tensions rising around Spain.

In the first round of fixtures after Barcelona were charged last weekend, at various stadiums there was a form of protest against the supposed  corruption scandal.

It was clearest in the Basque country, where Xavi Hernandez’s side faced Athletic Bilbao on Sunday.

Supporters threw mock money onto the pitch with “mafia” printed on it, along with Barcelona’s club emblem.

“I was surprised at the hostile atmosphere towards Barca, it was sad to see,” said Xavi after his team’s narrow 1-0 win. “(Barca) are being judged prematurely, which I don’t think is good for society.”

READ ALSO: Prostitutes, cocaine and corruption: Spain’s very own ‘partygate’ scandal

After Barcelona’s payments to Negreira’s company were unearthed in February, the club responded quickly and denied any wrongdoing.

President Joan Laporta said the club had ordered an external investigation and would provide answers as quickly as they could.

However, they have not scheduled a news conference to answer questions on the issue and their silence has been criticised by La Liga president Javier Tebas.

“Yes (It’s the worst moment) that I remember,” Tebas told Movistar channel Vamos on Tuesday.”The problem that we have is the worst. There are payments recognised by Barcelona to the vice-president of the CTA, that’s something abnormal.

“It’s understandable that tension is generated. The reputation of our football is at stake. I am ashamed. We have no explanation from Barcelona.”

Playing the victim

Laporta did speak at a lunch event with the Equestrian Circle in Barcelona and said there was a “campaign” to damage Barcelona’s interests.

“Let it be clear Barca have never bought referees and Barca have never had the intention of buying referees, absolutely never,” said the president.

Some, including Tebas, have criticised Laporta and Barcelona for playing the victim.

Last Sunday Real Madrid joined the proceedings against Barca as an “injured party”, along with the CTA, Spanish football federation, La Liga and Spain’s national sports council.

Barcelona will not host the traditional directors lunch with Real Madrid and their president Florentino Perez ahead of the Clásico as a result, according to Spanish reports.

After a period of relatively friendly relations between the two clubs — both collaborating on the failed breakaway European Super League plan — it marks a cooling.

However, Perez was under pressure from supporters demanding Madrid take action against Barcelona.

Tebas spoke again on Thursday, saying he did not think Barcelona had “bought referees” but he also said that “hiding is not the way” and the club had to provide full answers.

The league’s president reiterated that no sporting punishment can be handed to Barcelona as the alleged infringements happened too long ago.

Laporta took to social media on Friday to try and turn attention towards the Clásico, asking for the fans’ support more than ever as the club closes in on their first La Liga title since 2019.

“We will defend ourselves and we will attack, but now I want us to concentrate on cheering the team on,” said Laporta. “We shouldn’t have our attention diverted by other things. Let’s support Barca because we love them.”

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