No celebrations if Real Madrid clinch title

MADRID - Real Madrid have issued an appeal for fans not to celebrate in public if they claim the La Liga title on Thursday night.

Real Madrid will be crowned as champions if they win at home to Villarreal on Thursday night or if FC Barcelona fails to beat Osasuna in the Camp Nou.

Usually, a title for Real Madrid would lead to mass celebrations with thousands of supporters gathering around the Plaza de Cibeles in the center of the Spanish capital. However, with the risk of infection by the coronavirus, COVID-19 still very possible, the club has issued a communique asking fans to stay at home.

"If Real Madrid are proclaimed Champions, our players will not go to the traditional places of celebrations, especially the Plaza de Cibeles and we ask our fans not to go to these places either."

"We have to all contribute, as we have done up to now, with absolute responsibility to avoid risks of contagion," explains the club, which adds that "any possible triumph of our team, should not lead to a step backward in everyone's fight against the pandemic."

The club made the declaration after thousands of fans of second division Cadiz gathered outside their ground on Saturday, with no regard for the health risk to greet their team, who were promoted to La Liga on Sunday.

Meanwhile, hundreds of fans also gathered to welcome the Real Madrid and Granada players ahead of their game in the Los Carmines Stadium on Monday night.

These gatherings prompted Spain's Minister of Culture and Sport, Jose Manuel Rodriguez to say on Tuesday that there should be "no public celebrations."

"The images of fans celebrating their teams' achievements in the past few hours make it vital to remain a citizen of the importance of following the rules and especially in avoiding the crowds we have seen," explained Uribes.