Fans of Bogota’s soccer team Millonarios partied until dawn Monday, celebrating their first championship in 24 years.
Loyal fans, at last rewarded for their decades-long wait, gathered in Simon Bolivar Plaza in Colombia’s capital city on Sunday night for the party they had always dreamed of — winning the Liga Postobon championship after 24 years away from the podium.
Some cried with joy as their team was crowned Colombia’s champions following a penalty shoot-out with Independiente Medellin.
“I have been waiting since I was 14 in high school. Today, I am 28 years old and have no words to describe how it feels to see the Millos become champions, ” said Eduardo Hernandez, who watched the game from the stadium.
A carnival procession of cars, buses, motorbikes and even fire engines, headed by a bus carrying the team, left the stadium after the game and wound through the streets of Bogota celebrating, ending up at the city’s central square where 60,000 joyful, singing fans waited.
Local media reported that the Transmilenio bus system in Bogota fell victim to the fans’ joy as it became a target of celebratory graffiti.
Update: Three fans have died in Bogota during celebrations of the Millonarios victory, Caracol Radio reports. Two fans were reportedly stabbed in separate fight incidents and another fell from the third floor of a building. 1200 people ended up in court after the day and night of celebrations.