Tennis - Croatia team celebrate winning the Davis Cup - Zagreb, Croatia - November 26, 2018 Croatia team captain Zeljko Kraja and team celebrate winning the Davis Cup REUTERS/Antonio Bronic
ZAGREB (Reuters) - Thousands of Croats danced and cheered in Zagreb's central square on Monday as they welcomed their national tennis team back home and celebrated its Davis Cup victory.
Top-ranked Marin Cilic and other players boarded a special bus straight from the airport, drove into the heart of the capital and climbed onto a stage in Ban Jelacic Square to greet their fans.
As footage of their best moments played out on a video wall behind them, the players sang and danced along with the flag-waving crowd.
Tennis - Croatia team celebrate winning the Davis Cup - Zagreb, Croatia - November 26, 2018 Croatia fans celebrate REUTERS/Antonio Bronic
"We're extremely happy to bring this trophy to Croatia and to show everyone that we are the best," Cilic said from the stage as he held up the prize.
Croatia's 3-1 defeat of France over the weekend was the second time it has won the trophy, after beating Slovakia in 2005.
It was also Croatia's second major sporting clash with France this year - the first was Croatia's 4-2 defeat in the World Cup soccer final in Moscow in July.
Tennis - Croatia team celebrate winning the Davis Cup - Zagreb, Croatia - November 26, 2018 Croatia team captain Zeljko Kraja and team celebrate winning the Davis Cup REUTERS/Antonio Bronic
"We are proud of our guys. They struck back after the defeat of our soccer team," one of the revellers in Zagreb said.
(Reporting by Igor Ilic; Editing by Andrew Heavens)
Tennis - Croatia team celebrate winning the Davis Cup - Zagreb, Croatia - November 26, 2018 Croatia team captain Zeljko Kraja and Marin Cilic celebrate winning the Davis Cup REUTERS/Antonio BronicTennis - Croatia team celebrate winning the Davis Cup - Zagreb, Croatia - November 26, 2018 Croatia team celebrate winning the Davis Cup REUTERS/Antonio BronicTennis - Croatia team celebrate winning the Davis Cup - Zagreb, Croatia - November 26, 2018 Croatia fans wait to see the players REUTERS/Antonio BronicTennis - Croatia team celebrate winning the Davis Cup - Zagreb, Croatia - November 26, 2018 Croatia fans celebrate REUTERS/Antonio BronicTennis - Croatia team celebrate winning the Davis Cup - Zagreb, Croatia - November 26, 2018 Croatia team captain Zeljko Kraja and team celebrate winning the Davis Cup REUTERS/Antonio BronicTennis - Croatia team celebrate winning the Davis Cup - Zagreb, Croatia - November 26, 2018 Croatia fans celebrate REUTERS/Antonio BronicTennis - Croatia team celebrate winning the Davis Cup - Zagreb, Croatia - November 26, 2018 Croatia team captain Zeljko Kraja and team celebrate winning the Davis Cup REUTERS/Antonio Bronic
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