As Spain celebrates its hard-earned victory, Serene Assir takes part in the fun Within minutes of the end of the Spanish national team's unprecedented World Cup victory, the streets of towns, villages and major cities across the country were filled with overjoyed supporters and the colours of Spain's flag. In spite of the tournament's end just a few hours before the start of the working week, Madrid's main thoroughfare alone saw hundreds of thousands of people, young and old, enjoy the spontaneous celebration. "This is a historic moment. This is such an important moment," said overjoyed Samer, a 12-year-old Lebanese boy who has spent his whole life in Madrid. Asked about his personal hero, he had no doubts: Iker Casillas, the team's captain and star goalkeeper. Across the rest of the country, uncountable city and town squares were filled with the euphoria of a victory that took the national team -- both the individual talent of the players and their unity in action -- to achieve. In Barcelona, too, the celebrations lasted through the night, as in towns and cities across the south of the country. Slogans and chants sung throughout the World Cup were heard in streets, bars and houses, including: "I am Spanish. Spanish. Spanish." On Monday evening, the returning national team paraded through the streets of Madrid on a double-decker, open-top bus, waving to the crowds, singing and, in a rare sight for professional football players, sharing beers and interviews crammed with jokes and good humour. "We were out till 3am. We really enjoyed ourselves. But now that we're champions, we're also glad the World Cup is over," said Maya, a 19-year-old student of political science. The sense of relief was heightened by the tension of the World Cup final. People have been constantly commenting on referee Howard Webb's alleged non-interventionism in the face of what supporters described as violent infractions by the Dutch national team. This was the first World Cup final the Spanish national team had reached, and for many, it was about time the ensemble made it to the top. At the same time, football fans felt confident the team would not let them down this time around. "We knew Spain would win. It was obvious," said Julio Cesar from Andalucia. Much commentary was made on the predictions made by Paul the German octopus who has made headlines across the world by consistently guessing the team that was going to win the next match. But what took the country by storm above all was the kiss Casillas gave his new girlfriend and sports journalist Sara Carbonero live on television. In fact the video posted on YouTube capturing the moment has received more hits than the winning goal by Andres Iniesta. Some did not share the ecstasy of their compatriots, however. Tour guide Borg was glad Spain won, but at the same time said he felt "the World Cup and other such events are just a way for companies and sports clubs to make millions. It's just another gimmick to make the rich richer and the poor poorer." The sombre comment came while the global financial crisis continues to strike the Spanish economy, leading to continued pay cuts and layoffs. "Reality bites hard," Borg continued. Prior to the players' return to Spain, the 600,000 euro prize to each member of the Spanish football team was criticised in numerous publications and other media outlets, considering the weight of the financial crisis on the population's welfare. On a graver note, two people lost their lives during the celebrations on the night of the victory. One of the deaths took place in the ancient city of Merida, in the west of the country, when a young man drowned in a public swimming pool after he and his friends had climbed over the fence into the sports precinct during the night, according to reports by the Spanish national news agency EFE. Dozens were injured, too, including in fights with police authorities controlling the crowds.
