MADRID - It was 2 A.M. and Madrid was full of life, as though there were no tomorrow. In order to get to the "in" parties, you must go either north or south of the city. A scary, bald doorman stands outside club "69." One of my Spanish colleagues picks up the telephone and we are quickly ushered inside, along with a Greek journalist. Our ears pick up Tom Jones and "Delilah" being played by a DJ dressed up as a cowboy. On stage, the star of the show is grotesque, a male version of Cher, Prince and Zorro dancing. Elvis Presley struts his stuff among the tables, and Zorro joins him in a bizarre duet. Suddenly, Maccabi Tel Aviv's qualification for the Euroleague championship game did not seem so strange.
The dim club was designed in the 1970s, which means silver mosaic mirrors, and flowery lamps blinking to the beat of the music. A giant light fixture in the shape of lips hangs down from the ceiling.
"This is one of the most popular clubs in the city," says one of the Spanish journalists, who lives in Barcelona. "They are always celebrating something here in Madrid," he jokes. "Now it's 200 years since the end of the French occupation."
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It looks like the rivalry between Barcelona and Madrid spills over to areas other than basketball. Every once in a while they wonder whether Nikola Vujcic is going to stay at Maccabi, and you can't help but join in their wondering. Madrid definitely has a hectic night life. In the last two days, there have been several festivals as well as a martial parade, so the presence of Maccabi Tel Aviv fans has barely been noticed. The locals, who were celebrating May Day and the end of Napolean's occupation, were indifferent to the Euroleague Final Four. If you ask anyone here about basketball, he would not understand what you wanted from him.
The celebration of the end of age of Napoleon and the proletariat lasted until 6:30 A.M., and the echoes could be heard as far away as the room in the hotel where the Israeli press was staying. It is the Hotel Francisco (maybe named after Francis Moya, one of whose paintings depicts the Spanish revolt against French control). The hotel is located in a pedestrian mall whose atmosphere is both quiet and happy, set among huge, ancient buildings that are well-kept.
There were only 3,000 Maccabi fans at the game against Siena. A representative of the "Ultras" fan club marshaled the troops at the central Plaza Puerta del Sol and tried selling Maccabi Tel Aviv scarves to the locals. Their show of support was met with utter apathy. Madrid is not interested in basketball; only soccer lights a fire in its heart.
Neglected
"Madrid may clinch the championship tomorrow; then you'll see what a celebration is," says Pedro, a 20-year-old resident. It seemed as though Israeli fans felt neglected, because they were wandering around the city without "official uniforms." Barely 50 of them were seen on the streets. On the subway, which was bursting with enthusiasm two years ago in Prague, the same thing: no Israeli presence could be felt. As opposed to previous Final Fours, this time round, Maccabi's fans were of the quiet, wealthy type. Even wealthy-plus. Business owners sat on the flight to Madrid, comfortable and solid.
On the subway, I met a father and his son, Menahem and Yaniv, who came to the Final Four from Rishon Letzion. "We are armchair fans," admits the son, a high-tech worker. "We came only because Maccabi is in the Final Four. They'll win tonight."
It is not yet clear if Maccabi coach Zvika Sherf will lick the honey like the famous bear in Plaza Puerta del Sol; one matter is clear, however: Against favored CSKA, Zorro will not be there to help him.
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