VICTORY A SUCCOUR IN CRISIS: SPANISH

Madrid: A red-and-yellow sea of delirious fans swamped central Madrid in a wild all-night party before hailing the return on Monday of their conquering Euro 2012 heroes.

Briefly lifting the clouds of economic crisis, Spain’s historic 4-0 thumping of Italy — an unprecedented third straight international title — in the Ukrainian capital of Kiev brought massive crowds onto Spain’s streets.

Young and old, Spaniards burst into chants of “Champions!”, detonated bangers, danced in fountains, blared car horns and flew the national flag in their hands, through car windows and off the back of motorbikes. Tens of thousands of beer-soaked fans packed Madrid’s iconic Plaza Cibeles, adorned with a stone fountain of the goddess of nature on a chariot hauled by lions. By morning, just discarded beer cans and bottles remained.

Success on the field gave succour to a nation in crisis, said the leading daily El Pais, with the economy in recession, the jobless rate at 24.4 percent, and stricken banks struggling to stay afloat.

“Spain’s footballing successes give indirect relief, if only ephemeral, to the destructive consequences of recession and unemployment from which the Spanish people are suffering,” it said. “Football is not a substitute for good political management nor for economic prosperity, not should we ask it to be, but it can inject a dose of self-esteem in difficult times,” the paper said. — AFP