On Saturday night, perhaps more than ever before, the legacy that the Estadio Vicente Calderon will leave behind was felt palpably. Diego Simeone affirmed in the lead up to the Madrid derby that Atletico's supporters would have to live up to the occasion - the farewell to a match against their eternal rivals in their home for the last 50 years. There was no need for his message of course. Every red-and-white fan who came to the stadium did so with memories - Luis Aragones, Ufarte, Adelardo, Garate, Cholo himself, Vizcaino, Caminero, Pantic... Each follower with his or her own experiences and particular memory, but all with a feeling of nostalgia for a stadium where the locals have laughed, cried, sang and, above all, worn the red-and-white colours with pride. All these feelings were present and expressed again in the pressure-cooker atmosphere against Real Madrid. "Our legacy will be eternal," read a large banner unfurled between the top and bottom tiers. It was a great image that perfectly reflected the meaning that the occasion had for all Rojiblancos. That which has been passed down from generation to generation since the first time an opponent was received on the banks of the Manzanares. The picture said it all. A father and son, both fully dressed in red and white, with a vintage ball in hand, watching from outside the facade of the Vicente Calderon. They were the only words, but nothing more was needed. It was not even necessary that the embrace of the child was portrayed from the front, you could already guess what their eyes looked like.
Emotive hymn
The performance of the supporters was not limited to a simple representation of what went through their heads before the last great derby, because they've never stopped encouraging their team throughout the years. That is why the players were welcomed with an emotional rendition of the Atleti anthem which was so loud that the loudspeaker wasn't needed. There was no lack of encouragement during the game either, nor after Cristiano Ronaldo had taken the game beyond them. The result didn't necessarily matter, because in the Calderon they've never needed to win to feel pride.
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