About FC Barcelona football club

About FCBarcelona

FC BARCELONA - The 6 title glory!

It is common knowledge that FC Barcelona is the world’s best football club. How can we doubt this after the amazing 6 titles won during the 2008-2009 season! The first time in football history that a club wins titles in all competitions available. And just in case you forgot let’s have a quick reminder:

  • 1. Spanish cup
  • 2. Spanish league
  • 3. UEFA champions league
  • 4. Spanish super cup
  • 5. European super cup
  • 6. FIFA club world cup!

So many cups, it makes me want to drink!

  • A record breaking club

    It took FC Barcelona 110 years from its founding to achieve this unique 6 crown! In 1899 a Swiss, living in Barcelona - Joan Gamper, placed an ad in the paper, searching for play mates, 11 guys showed up, and FC Barcelona was born! Those magic 11 may be more than delighted, if they knew that in these days their humble afternoon friend’s football club is of 160,000 club members, and that its home stadium the Camp Nou can comfortably seat 98,766! and that many of the statistics in the FC Barcelona history are of great pride:

    FCB is one of only three clubs never to have been relegated from La Liga, the Spanish highest division.

    FCB have won La liga 19 times, second only to Real Madrid.

    FCB have won the "Copa del Rey", the Spanish cup 25 times, more than any other team.

    FCB is also one of the most successful clubs in Europe winning 3 UEFA champions league cups, and 4 UEFA cup winners cup! you can see a grand variety of these cups visiting the FC Barcelona museum.

    But it’s not just the cold facts and numbers, it’s the quality of play (read more in our blog) that make football fans and lovers admire BARCA! FC Barcelona is highly popular, 25% of all Spanish support the club, and it is estimated that 45 million Europeans would identify as "Barça" fans! FCB has the most official fan clubs, "penyes", just under 1,900!

    The Barcelona FC fans are referred to as "cules" (culo - ass), as in the old stadium of Sarria the fans would sit on the wall with their bottom side facing out to the street. The legend says that the FC Barcelona colors: BLAU GRANA are inspired from the FC Bazel colors, earlier supported by the founding member Joan Gamper.

  • Barça finds home ground

    It was only in march 1909 when the FC Barcelona club purchased its own home stadium; this first stadium had the allotment capacity of 8000. By 1922 FC Barcelona had 10,000 club members, this increase in popularity lead the way for a move to the Les Corts stadium of a 22,000 capacity, later expanded to the impressive 60,000.

    In the early 1920`s began a era of decay in the clubs growing due to negative political ambient, it was first the dictator Primo de Rivera that ordered to close the FC Barcelona stadium than it was Francos fachist solidiers that have bombed the FC Barcelona offices in 16 march 1968.

    On July 30, 1930, the club's founder, Joan Gamper, after a long period of depression due to personal and money problems committed suicide.

    After the Spanish Civil War, the Catalan flag was banned and football clubs were prohibited from using non-Spanish names. These steps changed the clubs name to Club de Fútbol Barcelona and the extraction of the Catalan flag from the club shield.

  • The Kubala Era

    Better years were to come... In 1945, with J.Samitier as manager FC Barcelona won the Spanish League for the first time since 1929. In June 1950, Barcelona signed L. Kubala, who was to be an emblematic personality at the club, and one of many star players to come.

    In 1961, a FC Barcelona side with Kubala, Suarez and friends, became the first team to beat Real Madrid in an European Cup eliminatory round, and ending their clear dominance of the competition. FC Barcelona gained more pride when beating Real Madrid 1–0 in the 1968 Copa del Generalísimo final at the Santiago Bernabéu in front of Franco. The club rechanged its official name back to Futbol Club Barcelona in 1974!

  • Cruyff and Maradona

    In this significant year, 1974, a new FC Barcelona legend arrived as player, Johan Cruyff. Already a famous player with Ajax Amsterdam, Cruyff quickly won the FC Barcelona fans admiration when he told the European press he chose FC Barcelona over Real Madrid because he could not play for a club related with General Franco.

    He later charmed the fans when he chose a Catalan name, Jordi, for his son. he helped the club win the 1973–74 domestic season for the first time since 1960, along the way defeating Real Madrid 5–0 at the Bernabéu. He was also crowned European Footballer of the Year in his first year at the club.

    In June 1982, the Argentina rising star, Diego Maradona was signed for a world record fee from Boca Juniors. In the following season FC Barcelona won the Copa del Rey, beating Real Madrid. However, Diego's time at FC Barcelona was short and he soon left for Napoli.

  • The Dream Team

    In 1988, Johan Cruyff returned to the club as manager and brought together the players that formed "Dream Team". He introduced players like Josep Guardiola, J.M. Bakero, T. Begiristain, I. Goikoetxea, Hagi, R. Koeman, Michael Laudrup, Romário and the un forgetful Stoichkov. Under Cruyff's managment, FC Barcelona won four consecutive La Liga titles from 1991 to 1994.

    They won Sampdoria in both the 1989 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup final and the 1992 European Cup final at Wembley with a legendary free kick goal from Dutch international Ronald Koeman.

    They also won a Copa del Rey in 1990, the European Super Cup in 1992 and three Supercopa de España. With 11 titles, J. Cruyff became the club's most successful manager. He also became the club's longest serving manager.

    In his final two seasons at FC Barcelona, J. Cruyff failed to win any titles (not to mention the shocking 4–0 defeat in the UEFA Champions League 1994 final against A.C Milan) and his relation with FC Barcelona president Núñez went bitter, resulting in Cruyff's removal.

  • New Managment!

    After the inefficacy of the Gaspart presidency period 2000-2003, the affiliation of a new club president Joan Laporta and a new manager, former Dutch and Milan midfielder Frank Rijkaard, saw the club rise again. On the pitch, the arrival of international players, such as Ronaldinho, Deco, H. Larsson and Samuel Eto'o linking with local grown Spanish players, such as Puyol, Iniesta, Xavi Hernández and Víctor Valdés, gave place to the club's successful return.

    FC Barcelona won the La liga and the Spanish super cup in 2004–05, and the teams top stars Ronaldinho and S. Eto'o were voted for first and third place in the FIFA World Player of the Year awards. The following season, FC Barcelona repeated their league and Supercup victory. The grand moment of the La Liga season came at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in a 3–0 win over Real Madrid.

    F. Rijkaard's second victory at the S. Bernabéu stadium, making him the first FC Barcelona manager to win there twice. Ronaldinho's performance was so magical that after his second, and FC Barcelona’s third goal the Real Madrid fans applauded him. In the UEFA Champions' League, FC Barcelona beat Arsenal 2–1 in the final, held in Paris.

    FC Barcelona finished the 2007–08 season third in the La Liga and made it to the semifinals of the UEFA Champions League and Copa del Rey (Spanish cup), losing to Manchester United and Valencia, respectively. A day after the 4–1 defeat to Real Madrid, Joan Laporta declared that second team coach Josep Guardiola would become head coach, and still to today the team we know as the PEP team is displaying excellent football and the right place for Lional Messi, the world’s best football player to be.

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Outgoing Barcelona president: Sale of Yaya Toure to Premier League club 'very advanced'
Ivorian set for switch to England...
By Matt Monaghan
15 Jun 2010 17:38:00
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Yaya Toure (Ivory Coast) - (Gettyimages)
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Yaya Touré
Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal target Yaya Toure is set to complete a Premier League switch imminently, according to outgoing Barcelona president Joan Laporta.

Toure, 27, has been linked with a £25 million move all summer, after the Catalans' head coach Pep Guardiola grew frustrated with the player's agent. City were believed to be the keenest team in the chase, while the Ivory Coast midfielder was believed to be a potential makeweight in Cesc Fabregas' move to the Nou Camp.

Speaking to reporters before he hands over control to Sandro Rosell, Laporta declared a transfer was imminent.

"The sale of Toure is very advanced," Laporta confirmed.

Earlier in the week, Toure had confirmed his desire to sample life in England, but for now is focused on his country's exploits in South Africa. He said: "I have said for a long time that I want to play in the Premier League.

"For me, the Premier League is a very good competition and I love that.

"After the World Cup I will decide what I want to do."