The footballers of Real Madrid beat arch rivals Barcelona to the Spanish equivalent of the FA Cup - then watched in anguish today as it slipped through their fingers.
Defender Sergio Ramos was the culprit as he dropped the Copa del Rey trophy under the wheels of the team bus during an open-top victory tour of the Spanish capital.
Thousands of fans gathered for the early-hours celebrations this morning after Jose Mourinho's team won the final 1-0. Ramos held the trophy triumphantly aloft to cheers from the huge crowds but embarrassingly then dropped it as the coach drove on and appeared to crush the silverware under the right front wheel.
The bus was hastily stopped and police officers and paramedics gathered up the broken pieces and returned them to the team.
Madrid's players carried on with the victory parade and attempted to rouse the fans by waving their scarves - but the cup itself did not reappear. Ramos tried to play down the accident, saying: "The cup fell but it is OK."
However, the trophy was still nowhere to be seen at the club's traditional celebration spot at the Plaza de Cibeles in central Madrid, where 60,000 fans gathered.
Cristiano Ronaldo's extra-time goal gave the club its first domestic cup in 18 years.
