体坛英语新闻：Basque fans celebrate 'Balcony Cup final' instead of postponed Copa del Rey

MADRID, April 19 (Xinhua) -- Saturday should have seen the final of Spain's Copa del Rey in the Estadio de la Cartuja in Seville between Athletic Bilbao and Real Sociedad.

It would have been the first time the two traditional rivals from the Basque region in the north of Spain have ever met in the cup final, and around 80,000 fans were expected to make the 900-kilometer journey south.

The COVID-19 crisis has put the cup final on hold, with no date set for it to eventually be played, but supporters of both clubs decided that even though they were in lockdown, that was no reason to forget their loyalties.

All over the Basque region, supporters of Athletic and 'La Real' decided to hold their own 'Balcony Cup final', with fans of both teams hanging flags, banners and scarves from their balconies, while wearing the colors they would have worn in Seville and playing their traditional club songs.

Buildings in and around San Sebastian were decked in Real Sociedad's blue and white, while in Bilbao, Athletic's red and white seemed to hang from every window, with some fans even reenacting the club's traditional celebrations of a parade on a barge through the city - although this time, the barge had to make it from one balcony to another.

Meanwhile, players from both teams, such as Iker Muniain, Aritz Elustondo and Inaki Williams, made a joint video, thanking health workers and telling fans to look ahead to when the final can at last be held.