World champions Fabián and Gavi were received this Tuesday in Los Palacios y Villafranca with a mass tribute that included their weight in bombón colora: 68.5 kilos for Gavi and 84 for Fabián.
The scale at the Los Palacios y Villafranca Town Hall recorded a record figure this Tuesday: 152.5 kilos of bombón colora, the traditional sweet of the municipality, distributed between the two footballers who brought the World Cup back to the town. Gavi, with his 68.5 kilos, and Fabián, with 84, took home the sweetest prize of a day that brought the town of 38,000 inhabitants to a standstill.
The tradition, established after the 2010 World Cup with Jesús Navas, was repeated for the second time. The mayor, Juan Manuel Valle, described the event as "the most crowded in the locality," with streets packed from early afternoon. The locals, who had already celebrated the title on Sunday in New York, wanted to be present for the official welcome.
Mass bath and signing in the Book of Honour
Before going up to the town hall balcony, Fabián and Gavi walked through the streets of the centre amidst applause and chants. "There are moments that are kept forever, and coming home after a World Cup is one of them," wrote Fabián in the Town Hall's Book of Honour. The PSG midfielder, raised in the Betis academy, recalled his origins at the 'La Unión' Football School.
For his part, Gavi left a heartfelt message: "Today is a day to remember for life, being a champion alongside a local like Fabián is the greatest thing there can be. This World Cup is for all the locals." The Barcelona player, trained at La Liara Balompié, signed alongside his teammate before going out onto the balcony, where they greeted a square full of Spanish flags and red shirts.
The bombón colora, emblem of sporting success
The most awaited moment came with the presentation of the bombón colora, an artisanal sweet that the locality considers "the secret" of its elite sports academy. Gavi, smaller in stature, took home 68.5 kilos; Fabián, 84. "It's impossible to calculate the pride of an entire town towards its world champions," summarised the mayor. Jesús Navas, a champion in 2010, was also present and confessed: "I was world champion 16 years ago, and the fact that two friends from our town have achieved it again is something great, an enormous satisfaction."
The celebration continued well into the night, with activities in the square and the traditional tasting of bombón colora for all attendees. Los Palacios y Villafranca thus adds its second and third world stars, consolidating a tradition that, judging by the joy of its residents, they hope to repeat.
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