Spanish football giants Atletico Madrid congratulated Syrians on Monday, as they marked the first anniversary of the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime.
On Monday, the official Arabic Instagram page, titled Atletiarabe, posted a montage with images of three stars of the Madrid team and some of Syria’s most iconic landmarks.
The image also features the Syrian flag in the background, along with the words "Day of Liberation" in Arabic.
The caption to the image refers to a popular Syrian song and phrase, used widely over the last year since rebel groups toppled the Assad regime, and reads: "Raise your head up high, you are a free Syrian".
The caption continues: "From all of us at Atletico Madrid, we congratulate our loved ones in Syria on the Day of Liberation, and we wish you to always remain in safety and peace".
The page, which has 1.8 million followers, garnered a great deal of praise, with many saying it was a surprising but welcome message.
"I will support Atletico Madrid for a full day even though I am a Barcelona fan," one person commented.
"On behalf of Syrian people, we sincerely appreciate your kind gesture and want to thank the club’s administration and the government of Spain for their continued support," another wrote.
The football team appears to be one of the only ones marking Liberation Day, and sending a message to Syrians who are out on the streets in their tens of thousands, celebrating the day.
The post comes as Syrians packed the streets of Damascus and other key cities on Monday, celebrating the fall of Assad, whose rule was marred by brutal persecution and civil war.
In a speech on Monday, President Ahmed al-Sharaa said that the day marks a new era of peace and transition in the country, vowing to ensure the country stays united and perpetrators are held accountable.
"From its north to its south, and from its east to its west, God willing, we will rebuild a strong Syria with a structure that befits its present and past – a structure befitting Syria’s ancient civilisation," he said.
"No one, no matter how big or powerful, will stand in our way, no obstacles will stand in our way, and we will face all challenges, God willing," he continued.