MADRID (AP) — Real Madrid and AC Milan honored the victims of the deadly floods in Valencia before their Champions League match on Tuesday.
Players from both teams entered the field wearing shirts with the words “We are all Valencia,” written in Spanish on Madrid’s kits and in Italian on AC Milan’s.
A huge banner of the Valencia region was displayed in the stands at midfield, covering several sitting sections at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium while a moment of silence was observed before kickoff.
Madrid’s organized fan group also displayed a “We are all Valencia” banner behind one of the goals at the Bernabeu.
Spain international Álvaro Morata, who scored one of the goals for Milan in the team’s 3-1 win against Madrid, said soccer has become secondary after the tragedy.
“What’s happening in Valencia is the most important thing,” he said. “Hopefully the situation will improve, because we can’t enjoy a soccer match with a situation like that happening in our country.”
More than 200 people were killed when flash floods caused by heavy downpours in eastern Spain devastated the Valencia region last week, destroying almost everything in their path and leaving people trapped in vehicles, homes and businesses.
Real Madrid had donated 1 million euros to help the victims affected by the unprecedented floods.
Madrid hadn’t played a match since its 4-0 loss to Barcelona in the Spanish league “clasico” on Oct. 26. Its weekend game at Valencia in the league was postponed because of the floods.
Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said in his news conference on Monday that he didn’t “feel like talking about soccer” with everything that was happening in Valencia.
Several other sporting events across Spain were affected by the deadly floods.
Before the match, Madrid fans at the Bernabeu loudly jeered when UEFA’s Champions League anthem was played. That came after the club decided not to attend the Ballon d’Or awards ceremony last week when its forward Vinícius Júnior did not win the prestigious prize.
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