The parade for Barça's double this 2017/2018 season has doubled up as one of the last chances for fans to say goodbye to Andrés Iniesta. A farewell accompanied by the joy over Barça's latest titles, celebrated by the club's fans in the streets of the city.
Ernesto Valverde's first year as manager has been rounded off with both the Copa del Rey and the Spanish League. The season still isn't over and could yet set records if they finish their regular matches without a defeat. But before that, and one day after securing the second title, the team has put on its special celebratory t-shirts, its flags and at least one jester's hat and got the party going.
Carles Palacio
Music and shouts
It's already a tradition; this time the parade started again from Barcelona's port with Coldplay in the background, one of those bands which has accompanied Barça in recent years. From the most to the least serious, all on the open-top bus which carried the champions through the city. Fans had already starting filling the route early, and it was packed from start to finish.
Around the starting point at the World Trade Center on the coast there was already a huge crowd dressed in the club's blue and garnet which would be the colours of a sunny spring afternoon. The great protagonists were the players themselves, especially Piqué, Luis Suárez, Jordi Alba, Umtiti, Denis, Aleix Vidal and André Gomes, the most lively of the team.
The starting gun came along with confetti cannons, hitting journalists, including yours truly, for the day's first victims before the war continued inside the bus. The parade set off with shouts from all around.
Carles Palacio
A most melancholy Iniesta
Piqué and Sergi Roberto stood out from the start with senyeres, Catalan flags, tied around their necks, but Iniesta was the true focus, his name being shouted by fans from the get-go. The call was for him to rethink his decision and stay at Barça. And it was heard time and again during the almost three-hour long, strange route which didn't end at the team's Camp Nou stadium.
First to Drassanes, then along Paral·lel before taking a right on to Ronda de Sant Pau up to Mercat de Sant Antoni, Iniesta looking sad the whole way, staring into the distance, aware this was one of his last public events with the team. Thoughts turned to another parade, three years ago now, bidding farewell to another legend in Xavi Hernández. But back to Iniesta, not even his teammates managed to cheer up their captain from Fuentealbilla. The odd smile, the odd laugh, but little more.
Carles Palacio
Undermining the titles
The two trophies were well-attached at the front of the bus; nobody would do a Sergio Ramos, dropping them to be run over by the bus. Fans, growing more excited as they drew closer to the centre of the city, livened up a party already working by itself on the buys.
Umtiti had on his happiest face, and a joker at the level of president Piqué continued the party as it drifted away from its original purpose. Someone started handing round beers and the alcohol started to take effect. The players started the second battle. Those who ended up wet, lost.
Carles Palacio
In the streets, the fans were overjoyed, immortalising the champions with their mobiles as they passed. Shakira blasted from loudspeakers, but the shouts of "Iniesta, Iniesta", were the main soundtrack.
Straight up carrer Compte d'Urgell then avinguda Sarrià. More than two and a half hours it lasted for. Pizzas to end the day with full stomachs as the sun started to set, the footballers starting on the parade's postscript, Ernesto Valverde looking around calmly and Iniesta still looking lost.