Founded in 1899 by a group of Swiss, Catalan, German, and English footballers led byJoan Gamper, the club has become a symbol of Catalan culture andCatalanism, hence the motto"Més que un club" ("More than a club").[1] Unlike many other football clubs,the supporters own and operate Barcelona. It is the third-most valuable football club in the world, worth $5.6 billion, and theworld's fourth richest football club in terms of revenue, with an annual turnover of €800.1 million.[2][3] The official Barcelona anthem is the "Cant del Barça", written byJaume Picas andJosep Maria Espinàs.[4] Barcelona traditionally play in dark shades of blue andgarnet stripes, hence nicknamedBlaugrana.
Barcelona is one of three founding members of thePrimera División that havenever been relegated from the top division since its inception in1929, along withAthletic Bilbao andReal Madrid.[16][17] In 2009, Barcelona became the first Spanish club to win thecontinental treble consisting ofLa Liga,Copa del Rey andUEFA Champions League titles, and also became the first European football club to win six competitions in a single year, by also triumphing in theSpanish Super Cup,UEFA Super Cup andFIFA Club World Cup.[18] In 2011, the club became European champions again, winning five trophies.[19] This Barcelona team, which won fourteen trophies in just four years underPep Guardiola, is considered by some in the sport to be the greatest of all time.[20][21][22] By winning their fifth Champions League trophy in2015 underLuis Enrique, Barcelona became the first European football club in history to achieve the continental treble twice.[23]
Walter Wild, the club's first president (1899–1901). His main achievement was providing Barça with its first home ground.[24]Gamper's advertisement inLos Deportes —English translation: "SPORT NOTE. Our friend and partner, Mr. Kans Kamper, from the Foot-Vall Section of the 'Sociedad Los Deportes' and former Swiss champion, wishing to organise some matches in Barcelona, requests that everyone who likes this sport contact him, come to this office Tuesday and Friday nights from 9 to 11."[25]
FC Barcelona had a successful start in regional and national cups, competing in theCampionat de Catalunya and theCopa del Rey. In 1901, the club participated in the first football competition played on theIberian Peninsula, theCopa Macaya, narrowly losing toHispania AC, but in the following year, Barça won the tournament, the club's first-ever piece of silverware,[27] and then participated in thefirst Copa del Rey, losing 1–2 toBizcaya (a combination of players fromAthletic Club andBilbao FC) in thefinal.[28] In 1908, Hans Gamper – now known as Joan Gamper – became club president, attempting to prevent Barcelona from shutting down. The club was struggling financially, socially, and in performance. They had not won a competition since the Campionat de Catalunya in 1905. He said in a meeting, "Barcelona cannot die and must not die. If there is nobody who is going to try, then I will assume the responsibility of running the club from now on."[29] He was club president on five separate occasions between 1908 and 1925, spending a total of 25 years in the role. One of his main achievements was ensuring Barça acquired its own stadium and thus generated a stable income.[30]
On 14 March 1909, the team moved into theCamp de la Indústria, a stadium with a capacity of 8,000. To celebrate their new surroundings, the club conducted a logo contest the following year.Carles Comamala won the contest, and his suggestion became the crest that the club still wears – with some minor changes – as of the present day.[31]
The stadium is regarded as the main element that helped the club grow in the 1910s and become a dominant team,[32] winning three successive Campionats de Catalunya between 1909 and 1911, three Copa del del Rey in four years between1910 and1913, and four successivePyrenees Cup between the inaugural year in 1910 and 1913. The Pyrenees Cup was one of the earliest international club cups in Europe. It consisted of the best teams ofLanguedoc,Midi andAquitaine (Southern France), theBasque Country and Catalonia, all former members of theMarca Hispanica region. The contest was the most prestigious in that era.[33] Notable figures of Barça's first great team include Carles Comamala,Alfredo Massana,Amechazurra,Paco Bru, andJack Greenwell.[34] The latter became the club's first full-time coach in 1917.[35]
During the same period, the club changed its official language fromCastilian toCatalan and gradually evolved into an important symbol of Catalan identity. For many fans, participating in the club had less to do with the game itself and more with being a part of the club's collective identity.[36] On 4 February 1917, the club held its firsttribute match to honourRamón Torralba, who played from 1913 to 1928. The match was against local side Terrassa where Barcelona won the match 6–2.[37]
Gamper simultaneously launched a campaign to recruit more club members, and by 1922, the club had more than 20,000, who helped finance a new stadium. The club then moved to the newLes Cortes, which they inaugurated the same year.[38] Les Cortes had an initial capacity of 30,000, and in the 1940s it was expanded to 60,000.[39]
In 1912, Gamper recruitedPaulino Alcántara, the club's seventh all-time top-scorer. In 1917, Gamper also recruited Jack Greenwell as Barcelona's first full-timemanager. After this hiring, the club's fortunes began to improve on the field and soon enjoyed its first "golden age". Along with Alcántara, the Barça team under Greenwell also includedSagibarba,Ricardo Zamora,Josep Samitier,Félix Sesúmaga, andFranz Platko.[40] This team won 9 out of 10 Campionats de Catalunya between 1919 and 1928 and two Copa del Rey titles in1920 and1922. In total, during the Gamper-led era, Barcelona won eleven Campionats de Catalunya, six Copa del Rey and four Pyrenees Cups.[41][30]
1923–1931: Primo de Rivera, and first golden age
On 14 June 1925, in a spontaneous reaction againstPrimo de Rivera's dictatorship, the crowd in the stadium jeered theRoyal March. As a reprisal, the ground was closed for six months and Gamper was forced to relinquish the presidency of the club.[42] This coincided with the club's transition to professional football. The first time the directors of Barcelona publicly claimed to operate a professional football club was in 1926.[38]
Team of FC Barcelona, published onEl Gráfico, 1926
On 3 July 1927, the club held a second testimonial match forPaulino Alcántara, against theSpanish national team. To kick off the match, local journalist and pilot Josep Canudas dropped the ball onto the pitch from his aeroplane.[43] In 1928, victory in the Spanish Cup was celebrated with a poem titled "Oda aPlatko", which was written by a member of theGeneration of '27,Rafael Alberti, inspired by the performance of the Barcelonagoalkeeper, Franz Platko.[44] On 23 June 1929, Barcelona won theinaugural Spanish League. A year after winning the championship, on 30 July 1930, Gamper committed suicide after a period of depression brought on by personal and financial problems.[30]
1931–1939: Republic, and Civil War: Assassination of President Sunyol
Although they continued to have players of the standing ofJosep Escolà, the club now entered a period of decline, in which political conflict overshadowed sports throughout society. Attendance at matches dropped as the citizens of Barcelona were occupied with discussing political matters.[45] Although the team won the Campionat de Catalunya in 1930, 1931, 1932, 1934, 1936, and 1938,[41] they did not win at a national level in this time, with the exception of their 1937 disputed title in theMediterranean League.
A month after theSpanish Civil War began in 1936, several players from Barcelona enlisted in the ranks of those who fought against the military uprising, along with players from Athletic Bilbao.[46] On 6 August,Falangist soldiers nearGuadarrama murdered club presidentJosep Sunyol, a representative of the pro-independence political party.[47] He was dubbed the martyr ofbarcelonisme, and his assassination was a defining moment in the history of FC Barcelona and Catalan identity.[48] In the summer of 1937, the squad was on tour in Mexico and the United States, where it was received as an ambassador of theSecond Spanish Republic. The tour led to the financial security of the club, but also resulted in half of the team seekingasylum in Mexico and France, making it harder for the remaining team to contest for trophies.[49][50]
On 16 March 1938, Barcelona came under aerial bombardment from theItalian Air Force, causing more than 3,000 deaths, with one of the bombs hitting the club's offices.[51][52] A few months later, Catalonia came under occupation, and as a symbol of the "undisciplined"Catalanism, the club, now down to just 3,486 members, faced a number of restrictions. All signs of regional nationalism, including language, flag and other signs of separatism were banned throughout Spain. TheCatalan flag was banned and the club were prohibited from using non-Spanish names. These measures forced the club to change its name toClub de Fútbol Barcelona and to remove the Catalan flag from its crest.[53]
1940–1957: Post-war, and start of Franco's regime
A prolific forward,László Kubala led Barcelona to success in the 1950s. His statue is built outside Camp Nou.
In1943, Barcelona faced rivalsReal Madrid in the semi-finals ofCopa del Generalísimo (now the Copa del Rey). The first match at Les Corts was won by Barcelona 3–0. Real Madrid comfortably won the second leg, beating Barcelona 11–1.[54] According to football writerSid Lowe, "There have been relatively few mentions of the game [since] and it is not a result that has been particularly celebrated in Madrid. Indeed, the 11–1 occupies a far more prominent place in Barcelona's history. This was the game that first formed the identification of Madrid as the team of the dictatorship and Barcelona as its victims."[55] It has been alleged by local journalist Paco Aguilar that Barcelona's players were threatened by police in the changing room, though nothing was ever proven.[56]
Despite the difficult political situation,CF Barcelona enjoyed considerable success during the 1940s and 1950s. In 1945, withJosep Samitier as coach and players likeCésar,Ramallets andVelasco, they won La Liga for the first time since 1929. They added two more titles in 1948 and 1949.[57] In1949, they also won the firstCopa Latina.[58] In June 1950, Barcelona signedLászló Kubala, who was to be an important figure at the club.[59]
On a rainy Sunday of 1951, the crowd left Les Corts stadium after a 2–1 win againstSantander by foot, refusing to catch any trams, and surprising theFrancoist authorities. A tram strike was taking place in Barcelona, and it received the support ofblaugrana fans. Events like this made CF Barcelona represent much more than just Catalonia. Many progressiveSpaniards saw the club as a staunch defender ofrights andfreedoms.[60][61]
CoachFerdinand Daučík and László Kubala led the team to five different trophies in 1952. These were La Liga, the Copa del Generalísimo, theCopa Latina, theCopa Eva Duarte, and theCopa Martini & Rossi. In 1953, the club won La Liga and the Copa del Generalísimo again.[39]
The 1960s were less successful for the club, with Real Madrid monopolising La Liga. The completion ofCamp Nou, finished in 1957, meant the club had little money to spend on new players.[63] The 1960s saw the emergence ofJosep Maria Fusté andCarles Rexach, and the club won the Copa del Generalísimo in 1963 and the Fairs Cup in 1966. Barcelona beat Real Madrid 1–0 in the 1968 Copa del Generalísimo final at theSantiago Bernabéu in front of dictatorFrancisco Franco, with coachSalvador Artigas, a former republican pilot in the Civil War. With the end of Franco's dictatorship in 1974, the club changed its official name back toFutbol Club Barcelona and reverted the crest to its original design, including the original letters.[64][65]
Johan Cruyff joined in the 1973–74 season. He was bought for a world record £920,000 fromAjax.[66] Already an established player with Ajax, Cruyff quickly won over the Barcelona fans when he told the European press that he chose Barcelona over Real Madrid because he could not play for a club associated with Francisco Franco. He further endeared himself when he named his son"Jordi", after the local CatalanSaint George.[67] Next to champions likeJuan Manuel Asensi, Carles Rexach andHugo Sotil, he helped the club win the1973–74 season for the first time since 1960,[41] defeating Real Madrid 5–0 at the Santiago Bernabéu en route. He was crownedEuropean Footballer of the Year in1973 during his first season with Barcelona (his second Ballon d'Or win; he won his first while playing for Ajax in1971). Cruyff received this award a third time (the first player to do so) in 1974, while he was still with Barcelona.[68]
1978–2000: Núñez and stabilization
In 1979, Barcelona boughtLa Masia, a farmer's house built in 1702, to be a residence for young academy players. It would later play a significant role in the club's future success.[69][70]
In 1978,Josep Lluís Núñez became the first elected president of FC Barcelona. Since then, the members of Barcelona have elected the club president. The process of electing a president of FC Barcelona was closely tied to Spain's transition to democracy in 1974 and the end of Franco's dictatorship. The new president's main objective was to develop Barcelona into a world-class club by giving it stability both on and off the pitch. His presidency lasted 22 years. It deeply affected the image of Barcelona, as Núñez held to a strict policy regarding wages and discipline, letting go of such players asDiego Maradona,Romário andRonaldo rather than meeting their demands.[71][72]
The club won its firstEuropean Cup Winners' Cup on 16 May 1979, beatingFortuna Düsseldorf 4–3 inBasel. More than 30,000 travellingblaugrana fans watched the final. The same year, Núñez began to invest in the club's youth programme by converting La Masia into a dormitory for young academy players from abroad. The name of the dormitory would later become synonymous with the youth programme of Barcelona.[73]
In June 1982, Diego Maradona was signed for a world record fee of £5 million fromBoca Juniors.[74] In the following season, under coachCésar Luis Menotti, Barcelona won the Copa del Rey, beating Real Madrid. Maradona soon left to joinNapoli. At the start of the1984–85 season,Terry Venables was hired as manager. He won La Liga with noteworthy displays by German midfielderBernd Schuster. The next season, he took the team to their secondEuropean Cupfinal. The team lost on penalties toSteaua București inSeville.[71]
Around this time, tensions began to arise between what was perceived as president Núñez's dictatorial rule and the nationalistic support group,Boixos Nois. The group, identified with a left-wing separatism, repeatedly demanded the resignation of Núñez and openly defied him through chants and banners at matches. At the same time, Barcelona experienced an eruption inskinheads, who often identified with a right-wing separatism. The skinheads slowly transferred the Boixos Nois' ideology fromliberalism tofascism, which caused division within the group and a sudden support for Núñez's presidency.[75] Inspired by British hooligans, the remaining Boixos Nois became violent, causing havoc leading to large-scale arrests.[76]
After the1986 FIFA World Cup, Barcelona signed the English top scorerGary Lineker, along with goalkeeperAndoni Zubizarreta, but the team could not achieve success, as Schuster was excluded from the team. Terry Venables was fired at the beginning of the 1987–88 season and replaced withLuis Aragonés. The season finished with the players rebelling against president Núñez, in an event known as the Hesperia mutiny, and a 1–0 victory in the Copa del Rey final againstReal Sociedad.[71]
As coach of the "Dream Team",Johan Cruyff won four consecutive league titles with Barcelona.
Ten years after the inception of the youth programme, La Masia, its players began to graduate and play for their first team. Pep Guardiola, the future coach of Barcelona, was one of the first graduates and would go on to receive international recognition.[79]Under Cruyff's guidance, Barcelona won four consecutive La Liga titles from 1991 to 1994. They beatSampdoria in both the 1989UEFA Cup Winners' Cup final and the 1992European Cup final atWembley, with a free kick goal from Dutch international Ronald Koeman. They also won a Copa del Rey in 1990, theEuropean Super Cup in 1992 and three Supercopa de España trophies.[80] With 11 trophies, Cruyff became the club's most successful manager at that point. He also became the club's longest consecutive serving manager, serving eight years.[81] Cruyff did not win any trophies in his final two seasons, and fell out with president Josep Lluís Núñez, resulting in his departure.[71]
Reacting to Cruyff's departure, an independent protest group was organised by Armand Caraben,Joan Laporta and Alfons Godall.[82] The objective of the group, calledL'Elefant Blau, was to oppose the presidency of Núñez, which they regarded as a corruption of the club's traditional values.[82][83] Laporta would later take over the presidency of Barcelona in 2003.[84]
Cruyff was briefly replaced byBobby Robson, who took charge of the club for a single season in 1996–97. He recruitedRonaldo for a world record transfer fee from his previous club,PSV, and delivered acup treble, winning the Copa del Rey,UEFA Cup Winners' Cup and the Supercopa de España, with Ronaldo registering 47 goals in 49 games.[85] Despite his success, Robson was only ever seen as a short-term solution while the club waited forLouis van Gaal to become available.[86]
Ronaldo soon left forInter Milan in another world record transfer.[85] However, new heroes emerged, such asLuís Figo,Patrick Kluivert,Luis Enrique andRivaldo, and the team won a Copa del Rey and La Liga double in 1998. In 1999, the club celebrated itscentenari, winning the Primera División title, and Rivaldo became the fourth Barcelona player to be awarded European Footballer of the Year. Despite this domestic success, the failure to emulate Real Madrid in the Champions League led to van Gaal and Núñez resigning in 2000.[86]
The departures of Núñez and Van Gaal were hardly noticed by the fans when compared to that of Luís Figo, then club vice-captain. Figo had become a cult hero and was considered by Catalans to be one of their own. Barcelona fans, however, were distraught by Figo's decision to join arch-rivals Real Madrid, and, during subsequent visits to Camp Nou, Figo was given an extremely hostile reception. Upon his first return, a piglet's head and a full bottle of whiskey were thrown at him from the crowd.[89] The next three years saw the club in decline, and managers came and went. Van Gaal was replaced byLorenzo Serra Ferrer who, despite an extensive investment in players in the summer of 2000, presided over a mediocre league campaign and a first-round Champions League exit, and was dismissed late in the season. Long-serving Barcelona deputy coach Carles Rexach was appointed as his replacement, initially on a temporary basis, and managed to at least steer the club to the last Champions League spot on the final day of the season against Valencia via an exceptional performance fromRivaldo, who completed arguably thegreatest hat-trick in history with an overhead bicycle kick winner in the final minute to secure qualification.[90][91][92]
Despite better form in La Liga and a good run to the semi-finals of the Champions League, Rexach was never viewed as a long-term solution and that summer Van Gaal returned to the club for a second spell as manager. What followed, despite another decent Champions League performance, was one of the worst La Liga campaigns in the club's history, with the team as low as 15th in February 2003. This led to Van Gaal's resignation and replacement for the rest of the campaign byRadomir Antić, though a sixth-place finish was the best that he could manage. At the end of the season, Antić's short-term contract was not renewed, and club presidentJoan Gaspart resigned, his position having been made completely untenable by such a disastrous season on top of the club's overall decline in fortunes since he became president three years prior.[93]
In the2005–06 season, Barcelona repeated their league and Supercopa successes. The pinnacle of the league season arrived at the Santiago Bernabéu in a 3–0 win over Real Madrid. It was Rijkaard's second victory at the Bernabéu, making him the first Barcelona manager to win there twice. Ronaldinho's performance was so impressive that after his second goal, which was Barcelona's third, some Real Madrid fans gave him a standing ovation.[95] In the Champions League, Barcelona beat English clubArsenal in thefinal. Trailing 1–0 to a ten-man Arsenal and with less than 15 minutes remaining, they came back to win 2–1, with substitute Henrik Larsson, in his final appearance for the club, setting up goals for Samuel Eto'o and fellow substituteJuliano Belletti, for the club's first European Cup victory in 14 years.[96]
Despite being the favourites and starting strongly, Barcelona finished the2006–07 season without trophies. A pre-season US tour was later blamed for a string of injuries to key players, including leading scorer Eto'o and rising starLionel Messi. There was open feuding as Eto'o publicly criticised coach Rijkaard and Ronaldinho.[97] Ronaldinho also admitted that a lack of fitness affected his form.[98] In La Liga, Barcelona were in first place for much of the season, but inconsistency in the New Year saw Real Madrid overtake them to become champions. Barcelona advanced to the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey, winning the first leg againstGetafe 5–2, with a goal from Messi bringing comparison to Diego Maradona'sgoal of the century, but then lost the second leg 4–0. They took part in the2006 FIFA Club World Cup, but were beaten by a late goal in the final against Brazilian sideInternacional.[99] In theChampions League, Barcelona were knocked out of the competition in the last 16 by eventual runners-upLiverpool onaway goals.[100]
Barcelona finished the2007–08 season third in La Liga and reached the semi-finals of theUEFA Champions League andCopa del Rey, both times losing to the eventual champions,Manchester United andValencia, respectively. The day after a 4–1 defeat to Real Madrid, Joan Laporta announced thatBarcelona B coach Pep Guardiola would take over Frank Rijkaard's duties on 30 June 2008.[101]
2008–2012: Guardiola era
Barcelona's midfield combination ofAndrés Iniesta (left) andXavi (right) were at the heart of Guardiola'stiki-taka passing style of play.[102]
Barcelona B youth managerPep Guardiola took over Frank Rijkaard's duties at the conclusion of the season.[101] Guardiola brought with him the now famoustiki-taka style of play he had been taught during his time in the Barcelona youth teams. In the process, Guardiola sold Ronaldinho and Deco and started building the Barcelona team around Xavi, Andrés Iniesta and Lionel Messi.[103]
Barça beat Athletic Bilbao 4–1 in the2009 Copa del Rey final, winning the competition for a record-breaking 25th time.[104] A historic 2–6 victory against Real Madrid followed three days later and ensured that Barcelona became2008–09 La Liga champions.[105] Barça finished the season by beating Manchester United 2–0 at theStadio Olimpico inRome, with goals from Eto'o and Messi, to win their third Champions League title, and complete the first ever treble won by a Spanish team.[106][107][108] The team went on to win the2009 Supercopa de España against Athletic Bilbao[109] and the2009 UEFA Super Cup againstShakhtar Donetsk,[110] becoming the first European club to win both domestic and European Super Cups following a treble. In December 2009, Barcelona won the2009 Club World Cup.[111] Barcelona accomplished two new records in Spanish football in 2010 as they retained the La Liga trophy with 99 points and won the Supercopa de España for a ninth time.[112][113]
After Laporta's departure from the club in June 2010,Sandro Rosell was soon elected as the new president. The elections were held on 13 June, where he received 61.35% (57,088 votes, a record) of total votes.[114] Rosell signedDavid Villa from Valencia for €40 million[115] andJavier Mascherano from Liverpool for €19 million.[116] At the2010 World Cup in South Africa, Barcelona players that had graduated from the club's La Masia youth system would play a major role in Spain becoming world champions. On 11 July, seven players who came through the academy participated in thefinal, six of whom were Barcelona players who started the match, with Iniesta scoring the winning goal against the Netherlands.[117]
In November 2010, Barcelona defeated their main rival Real Madrid 5–0 inEl Clásico.[118] At the ceremony for the2010 FIFA Ballon d'Or in December, Barcelona's La Masia became the first youth academy ever to have all three finalists for theBallon d'Or, with Messi, Iniesta and Xavi being named the three best players in the world for 2010.[119] In the2010–11 season, Barcelona retained the La Liga trophy, their third title in succession, finishing with 96 points.[120] In April 2011, the club reached theCopa del Rey final, losing 1–0 to Real Madrid at theMestalla Stadium inValencia.[121] In May, Barcelona defeated Manchester United in the2011 Champions League Final 3–1 held atWembley Stadium, a repeat of the 2009 final, winning their fourth European Cup.[122] In August 2011, La Masia graduateCesc Fàbregas was bought from Arsenal and he would help Barcelona defend the Spanish Supercup against Real Madrid. The Supercup victory brought the total number of official trophies to 73, matching the number of titles won by Real Madrid.[123]
Later the same month, Barcelona won the UEFA Super Cup defeatingPorto 2–0 with goals from Messi and Fàbregas. This extended the club's overall number of official trophies to 74, surpassing Real Madrid's total amount of official trophies.[124] The Super Cup victory also saw Guardiola win his 12th trophy out of a possible 15 in his three years at the helm of the club, becoming the all-time record holder of most titles won as a coach at Barcelona.[125]
In December, Barcelona won theClub World Cup for a record second time since its establishment, after defeating 2011Copa Libertadores holdersSantos 4–0 in thefinal thanks to two goals from Messi and goals from Xavi and Fàbregas.[126] As a result, the overall trophy haul during the reign of Guardiola was further extended and saw Barcelona win their 13th trophy out of a possible 16.[127][128] Considered by some in the sport to be the greatest team of all time, with Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson stating, "They mesmerise you with their passing",[21] their five trophies in 2011 saw them receive theLaureus World Sports Award for Team of the Year.[129]
In the2011–12 season, Barcelona lost the semi-finals of the Champions League againstChelsea. Guardiola, who had been on a rolling contract and had faced criticism over his recent tactics and squad selections,[130][131] announced that he would step down as manager on 30 June and be succeeded by assistantTito Vilanova.[132][133] Guardiola finished his tenure with Barça winning theCopa del Rey final 3–0, bringing the tally to 14 trophies that Barça had won under his coaching.[134]
It was announced in summer of 2012 that Tito Vilanova, assistant manager at Barcelona, would take over from Pep Guardiola as manager.[135] Following his appointment, Barcelona went on an incredible run that saw them hold the top spot on the league table for the entire season, recording only two losses and amassing 100 points. Their top scorer once again was Lionel Messi, who scored 46 goals in La Liga, including two hat-tricks. On 11 May 2013, Barcelona were crowned as the Spanish football champions for the 22nd time, still with four games left to play. Ultimately, Barcelona ended the season 15 points clear of rivals Real Madrid, despite losing 2–1 to them at the beginning of March.[136] They reached the semi-final stage of both theCopa del Rey and theChampions League, going out to Real Madrid andBayern Munich respectively. On 19 July, it was announced that Vilanova was resigning as Barcelona manager because his throat cancer had returned, and he would be receiving treatment for the second time after a three-month medical leave in December 2012.[137]
2014–2020: Bartomeu era
Luis Suárez joined the club in 2014. Messi, Suárez andNeymar, dubbed "MSN", formed a record-breaking strike force.
Barcelona won the treble in the2014–15 season, winning La Liga, Copa del Rey and Champions League titles, and became the first European team to have won the treble twice.[142] On 17 May, the club clinched their 23rd La Liga title after defeating Atlético Madrid.[143] This was Barcelona's seventh La Liga title in the last ten years.[144] On 30 May, the club defeated Athletic Bilbao in theCopa del Reyfinal at Camp Nou.[145] On 6 June, Barcelona won the2015 Champions League Final with a 3–1 win againstJuventus, which completed the treble, the club's second in six years.[146] Barcelona's attacking trio of Messi, Suárez and Neymar, dubbed "MSN", scored 122 goals in all competitions, the most in a season for an attacking trio in Spanish football history.[147]
On 11 August, Barcelona started the2015–16 season winning a joint record fifth European Super Cup by beatingSevilla 5–4 in the2015 UEFA Super Cup. They ended the year with a 3–0 win over Argentine clubRiver Plate in the2015 Club World Cup final on 20 December to win the trophy for a record third time, with Suárez, Messi and Iniesta the top three players of the tournament.[148] The Club World Cup was Barcelona's 20th international title, a record only matched by Egyptian clubAl Ahly.[149][150] By scoring 180 goals in 2015 in all competitions, Barcelona set the record for most goals scored in a calendar year, breaking Real Madrid's record of 178 goals scored in 2014.[151] On 10 February 2016, qualifying for the sixth Copa del Rey final in the last eight seasons, Luis Enrique's Barcelona broke the club's record of 28 consecutive games unbeaten in all competitions set by Guardiola's team in the 2010–11 season, with a 1–1 draw with Valencia in the second leg of the2015–16 Copa del Rey.[152][153] With a 5–1 win atRayo Vallecano on 3 March, Barcelona's 35th match unbeaten, the club broke Real Madrid's Spanish record of 34 games unbeaten in all competitions from the 1988–1989 season.[154][155] After Barça reached 39 matches unbeaten, their run ended on 2 April 2016 with a 2–1 defeat to Real Madrid at Camp Nou.[156] On 14 May 2016, Barcelona won their sixth La Liga title in eight seasons.[157] The front three of Messi, Suárez and Neymar finished the season with 131 goals, breaking the record they had set the previous year for most goals by an attacking trio in a single season.[158]
On 8 March 2017, Barcelona made the largest comeback in Champions League history in the2016–17 UEFA Champions League Round of 16 second Leg, defeating Paris Saint-Germain6–1 (aggregate score 6–5), despite losing the first leg in France by a score of 4–0.[159] On 29 May 2017, former playerErnesto Valverde was named as Luis Enrique's successor.[160] On 20 September 2017, Barcelona issued a statement exercising their stance on the2017 Catalan referendum saying, "FC Barcelona, in holding the utmost respect for its diverse body of members, will continue to support the will of the majority of Catalan people, and will do so in a civil, peaceful, and exemplary way".[161] The match againstUD Las Palmas on the referendum day was requested to be postponed by the Barcelona board due to heavy violence in Catalonia, but it (the request) was declined by La Liga, therefore being held behind closed doors.[162] Two directors, Jordi Monés and Carles Vilarrubí, handed in their resignations in protest at the game's being played.[163] Winning La Liga for the2017–18 season, on 9 May 2018, Barcelona defeated Villarreal 5–1 to set thelongest unbeaten streak (43 games) in La Liga history.[164] On 27 April 2019, Barcelona won their 26th La Liga title.[165] However, the La Liga title was overshadowed by an improbableChampions League exit to Liverpool in the semi-finals, with Barça losing the second leg 0–4 after being up 3–0 after a home victory.[166]
On 13 January 2020, following the loss to Atlético Madrid in theSpanish Supercup, formerReal Betis coachQuique Setién replaced Ernesto Valverde as the new head coach of Barcelona.[167] Ultimately Barcelona finished the season trophyless for first time in 12 years. On 17 August, the club confirmed that Setién had been removed from his position as manager withdirector of footballEric Abidal also dismissed from his position.[168] Two days later,Ronald Koeman was appointed as the new head coach of Barcelona.[169] Rising dissatisfaction among supporters due to worsening finances and decline on the pitch in the previous season led to Josep Maria Bartomeu announcing his resignation as president on 27 October 2020, to avoid facing a vote of no confidence from the club members.[170][171]
2021–present: Return of Laporta and post-Messi era
Chart of Barcelona's league performance 1929–2023
On 7 March 2021, Joan Laporta was elected president of Barcelona with 54.28% of the vote.[172] Barcelona won their 31st Copa del Rey, their only trophy under Ronald Koeman, after defeating Athletic Bilbao 4–0 in thefinal.[173] In August 2021 Barcelona found themselves unable to comply with La Liga's Financial Fair Play requirements, and revealed a club debt of €1.35bn and a wage bill accounting for 103% of total income. Negotiations with Lionel Messi, now in the final year of his contract, had been ongoing for some time. However, on 5 August 2021, Barcelona announced that they would be unable to re-sign Messi to an extension due to La Liga regulations. This was despite the fact that the club and Messi had reached an agreement over the details of a new contract. Messi departed the club after 21 years as a Barça player, and the club's all-time leading goalscorer, and signed on a free transfer with French clubParis Saint-Germain.[174][175] The financial implications also restricted Barcelona in the transfer market and as a result most of the incoming players were either free transfers or loans and they had to reduce players' wages to register the incoming players.[176]
Poor performances inLa Liga and theChampions League led to the sacking of Ronald Koeman on 28 October, with a club legendXavi replacing him.[177][178] Xavi could not reverse the fortunes in the Champions League, and Barcelona dropped down to theEuropa League for the first time since2003–04, subsequently exiting in the quarter-finals.[179] In the domestic league, Xavi improved Barça's form and guided them from ninth to second, guaranteeing a Champions League spot next season. However, this also meant Barcelona finished trophyless after earlier Supercopa and Copa del Rey exits.[180]
On 15 January 2023, Xavi guided Barcelona to their first trophy since the2021 Copa del Rey, as the Catalans defeated Real Madrid 3–1 in theSupercopa de Españafinal.[181] On 14 May 2023, Barcelona mathematically clinched their27th league title with four games to spare, the first in the post-Messi era.[182]
Tifo at Camp Nou in a 2013comeback against AC Milan
The nicknameculer for a Barcelona supporter is derived from the Catalancul (English: arse), as the spectators at the first stadium, Camp de la Indústria, sat with theirculs over the stand.[183][184] In Spain, about 25% of the population is said to be Barça sympathisers, second behind Real Madrid, supported by 32% of the population.[185] Throughout Europe, Barcelona is the favourite second-choice club.[186] The club's membership figures have seen a significant increase from 100,000 in the 2003–04 season to 170,000 in September 2009,[187] the sharp rise being attributed to the influence of Ronaldinho and then-president Joan Laporta's media strategy that focused on Spanish and English online media.[188][189] As of 31 May 2023[update], the club has 150,317 memberships, calledsocis.[190]
In addition to membership, as of March 2022[update] there are 1,264 officially registered fan clubs, calledpenyes, around the world.[191] The fan clubs promote Barcelona in their locality and receive beneficial offers when visiting Barcelona.[192] Among the best supported teams globally, Barcelona has the second highest social media following in the world among sports teams, with over 103 million Facebook fans as of December 2021[update], only behind Real Madrid with 111 million.[11][193] The club has had many prominent people among its supporters, including PopeJohn Paul II, who was an honorary member, and former prime minister of SpainJosé Luis Rodríguez Zapatero.[194][195]
Players jostle in Barcelona's 2–6 win against Real Madrid at theSantiago Bernabéu Stadium in a 2009El Clásico.
There is often a fierce rivalry between the two strongest teams in a national league, and this is particularly the case in La Liga, where the game between Barcelona andReal Madrid is known as "The Classic" (El Clásico). From the start of national competitions the clubs were seen as representatives of two rival regions in Spain:Catalonia andCastile, as well as of the two cities. The rivalry reflects what many regard as the political and cultural tensions felt betweenCatalans and theCastilians, seen by one author as a re-enactment of theSpanish Civil War.[196] Over the years, the head-to-head record between the two clubs is 102 victories for Madrid, 100 victories for Barcelona, and 52 draws.[citation needed]
Barcelona fans creating a mosaic of theCatalan flag before a 2012El Clasico at Camp Nou
As early as the 1930s, Barcelona "had developed a reputation as a symbol of Catalan identity, opposed to the centralising tendencies of Madrid".[197][198] In 1936, whenFrancisco Franco started theCoup d'état against the democraticSecond Spanish Republic, the president of Barcelona,Josep Sunyol, member of theRepublican Left of Catalonia and Deputy toThe Cortes, was arrested and executed without trial by Franco's troops[199] (Sunyol was exercising his political activities, visiting Republican troops north of Madrid).[197] During the dictatorships ofMiguel Primo de Rivera and especiallyFrancisco Franco, all regional languages and identities in Spain were frowned upon and restrained. As such, most citizens of Barcelona were in strong opposition to the fascist-like regime. In this period, Barcelona gained their mottoMés que un club (English: More than a club) because of its alleged connection toCatalan nationalist as well as toprogressive beliefs.[200]
There's an ongoing controversy as to what extent Franco's rule (1939–75) influenced the activities and on-pitch results of both Barcelona and Real Madrid. Fans of both clubs tend to exaggerate the myths favouring their narratives. Most historians agree than Franco did not have a preferred football team, but his Spanish nationalist beliefs led him to associate himself with the establishment teams, such asAtlético Aviación andMadrid FC (that recovered itsroyal name after the fall of the Republic). On the other hand, he also wanted the renamedCF Barcelona succeed as "Spanish team" rather than a Catalan one. During the early years of Franco's rule, Real Madrid were not particularly successful, winning twoCopa del Generalísimo titles and aCopa Eva Duarte; Barcelona claimed threeleague titles, one Copa del Generalísimo and one Copa Eva Duarte. During that period, Atlético Aviación were believed to be the preferred team over Real Madrid. The most contested stories of the period include Real Madrid's 11–1 home win against Barcelona in theCopa del Generalísimo, where the Catalan team alleged intimidation, and the controversial transfer ofAlfredo Di Stéfano to Real Madrid despite his agreement with Barcelona. The latter transfer was part of Real Madrid chairmanSantiago Bernabéu's "revolution" that ushered in the era of unprecedented dominance. Bernabéu, himself a veteran of the Civil War who fought forFranco's forces, saw Real Madrid on top not only of Spanish but also European football, helping create theEuropean Cup, the first true competition for Europe's best club sides. His vision was fulfilled when Real Madrid not only started winning consecutive league titles but also swept the first five editions of the European Cup in the 1950s.[201] These events had a profound impact on Spanish football and influenced Franco's attitude. According to historians, during this time he realized the importance of Real Madrid for his regime's international image, and the club became his preferred team until his death.Fernando Maria Castiella, who served asMinister of Foreign Affairs under Franco from 1957 until 1969, noted that "[Real Madrid] is the best embassy we have ever had." Franco died in 1975, and theSpanish transition to democracy soon followed. Under his rule,Real Madrid had won 14 league titles, 6 Copa del Generalísimo titles, 1 Copa Eva Duarte, 6 European Cups, 2Latin Cups, and 1Intercontinental Cup. In the same period,Barcelona had won 8 league titles, 9 Copa del Generalísimo titles, 3 Copa Eva Duarte titles, 3Inter-Cities Fairs Cups, and 2 Latin Cups.[202][203]
The rivalry was intensified during the 1950s when the clubs disputed the signing ofAlfredo Di Stéfano. Di Stéfano had impressed both Barcelona and Real Madrid while playing forLos Millionarios inBogotá, Colombia, during a players' strike in his nativeArgentina. Soon after Millonarios' return to Colombia, Barcelona directors visited Buenos Aires and agreed with River Plate, the last FIFA-affiliated team to have held Di Stéfano's rights, for his transfer in 1954 for the equivalent of 150 million Italian lira (according to other sources 200,000 dollars). This started a battle between the two Spanish rivals for his rights. FIFA appointed Armando Muñoz Calero, former president of the Spanish Football Federation as mediator. Calero decided to let Di Stéfano play the 1953–54 and 1955–56 seasons in Madrid, and the 1954–55 and 1956–57 seasons in Barcelona. The agreement was approved by the Football Association and their respective clubs. Although the Catalans agreed, the decision created various discontent among the Blaugrana members and the president was forced to resign in September 1953. Barcelona sold Madrid their half-share, and Di Stéfano moved toLos Blancos, signing a four-year contract. Real paid 5.5 million Spanish pesetas for the transfer, plus a 1.3 million bonus for the purchase, an annual fee to be paid to the Millonarios, and a 16,000 salary for Di Stéfano with a bonus double that of his teammates, for a total of 40% of the annual revenue of the Madrid club.[204]
Di Stéfano became integral in the subsequent success achieved by Real Madrid, scoring twice in his first game against Barcelona. With him, Madrid won the first five editions of theEuropean Cup.[205] The 1960s saw the rivalry reach the European stage when Real Madrid and Barcelona met twice in the European Cup, with Madrid triumphing en route to their fifth consecutive title in1959–60 and Barcelona prevailing en route to losing the final in1960–61. In 2002, the European encounter between the clubs was dubbed the "Match of The Century" by Spanish media, and Madrid's win was watched by more than 500 million people.[206] An intense fixture which is marked by its indiscipline in addition tomemorable goal celebrations from both teams – often involving mocking the opposition – such notable celebrations occurred in 2009 when Barcelona captainCarles Puyol kissed his Catalan armband in front of incensed Madrid fans at theSantiago Bernabéu Stadium and in 2017 when Lionel Messi celebrated his 93rd-minute winner for Barcelona against Real Madrid at the Bernabéu by taking off his Barcelona shirt and holding it up to incensed Real Madrid fans – with his name and number facing them.[207]
Barcelona players parade La Liga trophy around Camp Nou in May 2006 after defeatingEspanyol in their last home game of the season.
Barça's local rival has always beenEspanyol.Blanc-i-blaus, being one of the clubs granted royal patronage, was founded exclusively by Spanish football fans, unlike the multinational nature of Barça's primary board. The founding message of the club was clearly anti-Barcelona, and they disapprovingly saw FC Barcelona as a team of foreigners.[208] The rivalry was strengthened by what Catalonians saw as a provocative representative of Madrid.[209] Their original ground was in the affluent district ofSarrià.[210][211]
Traditionally, Espanyol was seen by the vast majority of Barcelona's citizens as a club which cultivated a kind of compliance to the central authority, in stark contrast to Barça's revolutionary spirit.[212] Also in the 1960s and 1970s, while FC Barcelona acted as an integrating force for Catalonia's new arrivals from poorer regions of Spain expecting to find a better life, Espanyol drew their support mainly from sectors close to theregime such as policemen, military officers, civil servants and career fascists.[213]
In 1918, Espanyol started a counter-petition against autonomy, which at that time had become a pertinent issue.[208] Later on, an Espanyol supporter group would join the Falangists in the Spanish Civil War, siding with the fascists. Despite these differences in ideology, thederbi has always been more relevant to Espanyol supporters than Barcelona ones due to the difference in objectives. In recent years the rivalry has become less political, as Espanyol translated its official name and anthem from Spanish to Catalan.[208]
Though it is the most played local derby in the history of La Liga, it is also the most unbalanced, with Barcelona overwhelminglydominant. In the primera división league table, Espanyol has only managed to end above Barça on three occasions from 87 seasons (1928–2022) and the only all-Catalan Copa del Rey final was won by Barçain 1957. Espanyol has the consolation of achieving the largest margin win with a 6–0 in 1951, while Barcelona's biggest win was 5–0 on seven occasions (in 1933, 1947, 1964, 1975, 1992, 2016 and 2017). Espanyol achieved a 2–1 win against Barça during the 2008–09 season, becoming the first team to defeat Barcelona at Camp Nou in their treble-winningseason.[214]
One of Barcelona's rivals in European football is Italian club AC Milan.[215][216][217][218] The team against which Barcelona has played the most matches (19), it is also the third most played match in European club competitions, behind Real Madrid–Juventus (21) and Real Madrid–Bayern Munich (26).[219][220][221] Two of the most successful clubs in Europe, Milan has won seven European Cups to Barça's five, while both clubs have won a record five European Super Cups.[222] Barcelona and Milan have won other continental titles, which make them the second and third most decorated teams in world football, with 19 and 14 titles respectively, both behind Real Madrid's 23.[223]
Barcelona leads the head-to-head record with eight wins and five defeats. The first encounter between the two clubs was in the1959–60 European Cup. They faced off in the round of 16 and Barça won the tie on a 7–1 aggregate score (0–2 in Milan and 5–1 in Barcelona).[224] While Milan had never knocked Barcelona out of the European Cup, they beat Johan Cruyff's Dream Team 4–0 in the1994 Champions League final, despite being the underdogs.[225][226] In 2013, however, Barcelona made a "historic" comeback from a 0–2 first leg defeat in the round of 16 of the2012–13 Champions League, winning 4–0 at Camp Nou.[227][228]
Along with Real Madrid, Athletic Bilbao, andOsasuna, Barcelona is organised as aregistered association.[229][230] Unlike alimited company, it is not possible to purchase shares in the club, but only membership.[231] The members of Barcelona, calledsocis, form an assembly of delegates which is the highest governing body of the club.[232] As of 31 May 2023[update], the club has 150,317socis.[190]
In 2010,Forbes evaluated Barcelona's worth to be around €752 million (US$1 billion), ranking them fourth after Manchester United, Real Madrid and Arsenal, based on figures from the 2008–09 season.[233][234] According toDeloitte, Barcelona had a recorded revenue of €366 million in the same period, ranking second to Real Madrid, who generated €401 million in revenue.[235] In 2013,Forbes magazine ranked Barcelona the third most valuable sports team in the world, behind Real Madrid and Manchester United, with a value of $2.6 billion.[236] In 2014,Forbes ranked them the second most valuable sports team in the world, worth $3.2 billion, and Deloitte ranked them the world's fourth richest football club in terms of revenue, with an annual turnover of €484.6 million.[237][238] In 2017,Forbes ranked them the fourth most valuable sports team in the world with a team value of $3.64 billion.[239] In 2018, Barcelona became the first sports team to surpass $1bn in annual revenues.[240] In November 2018 Barcelona became the first sports team with average first-team pay in excess of £10m ($13.8m) per year.[241][242] However, years of profligate spending under the leadership ofJosep Maria Bartomeu (president between 2014 and 2020) and other factors, such as theCOVID-19 pandemic, saw the club's gross debt rise to about $1.4 billion in 2021, much of it short-term.[240]
On November 9, 2024, Barcelona announced its new sponsorship deal with Nike. It is said that it is the highest deal in football history.[243]
Inliterature, some greatCatalan writers they were inspired by the club. In 1957, on the occasion of the inauguration of theCamp Nou,Josep Maria de Sagarra dedicated a poem titledBlau i grana.[250]PoetManuel Vázquez Montalbán wrote regularly about his vision of the team. Some expressions emerged that caught on in the popular imagination, such as identifying Barça with "The unarmed army of Catalonia." He also wrote that "Barça is the only legal institution that unites the man on the street with the Catalonia that could have been and was not."[251][252]
The Blaugrana world has also been a source of inspiration in theplastic arts, with names such as Jordi Alumà,Josep Maria Subirachs, Antoni Tàpies or Josep Viladomat, who made the 'Avi del Barça' sculpture in theLa Masia.[255]Salvador Dalí paid tribute to the club's 75th anniversary with anetching.[256]
In times of political difficulty or lack of freedoms, Barça has been a refuge and means of expression for cultural andartistic activities. In 2013, the club highlighted the 'Barça Cultura' plan, an initiative that promotes the area of institutional relations and protocol with the aim of offering Barcelona as a platform to promote culture in Catalonia.[258] In 2022, Barcelona andÒmnium sign an agreement to promote theCatalan language, culture and thecountry.[259]
There are manydocumentaries andfilms that have been created throughout history to capture the successes and journey of the club over the years. More recently, in December 2022,Amazon Prime Video released a five-episode docuseries calledFC Barcelona: A New Era.[260] It documented the club by spending time with the coaching staff and playersbehind the scenes both on and off the field throughout their2021–22 season. In September 2023, Amazon Prime Video launched the second season with a five-episode docuseries. It focuses on their2022–23 behind the scenes season.[261]
Xavi made 767 total appearances for Barcelona, a former club record.
In March 2021,Lionel Messi overtookXavi's record of 767 games played for the club, and presently has made 778 official appearances in all competitions, while also holding the record for the most appearances in La Liga matches for Barcelona, with 520.[262]
Lionel Messi is Barcelona's all-time top appearance maker, top scorer, and the highest scoring player for a single club.
Barcelona's all-time highest goalscorer in official competitions is Lionel Messi with 672 goals, surpassingCésar Rodríguez's 232 goals in March 2012, a record which stood for 60 years.[263] In December 2020, Messi also overtookPelé's 643 goals forSantos to become the highest official scorer for a single club.[264] Messi is the record goalscorer for Barcelona in European and international club competitions,[265] and the record league scorer with 474 goals in La Liga.[266] Fourother players have managed to score over 100 league goals for Barcelona:César Rodríguez (190),Luis Suárez (147),László Kubala (131) andSamuel Eto'o (108).[267]Josep Samitier is the club's highest goalscorer in theCopa del Rey, with 64 goals.[268]
Barcelona goalkeepers have won a record number ofZamora trophies (20), withAntoni Ramallets andVíctor Valdés winning a record five each. Valdés had a ratio of 0.832 goals-conceded-per-game, a La Liga record,[271] and he also holds the record for longest period without conceding a goal (896 minutes) in all competitions for Barcelona.[272]Claudio Bravo has the record of best unbeaten start in a season in La Liga history, at 754 minutes.[273][274]
Pep Guardiola is Barcelona's most successful coach, with 14 trophies.
Barcelona's longest serving manager isJack Greenwell, with nine years in two spells (1917–1924) and (1931–1933), andPep Guardiola is the club's most successful manager (14 trophies in 4 years). The most successful Barcelona player is Lionel Messi with 35 trophies, surpassingAndrés Iniesta, with 32 trophies.[275]
Barcelona's Camp Nou is thelargest stadium in Europe. The club's highest home attendance was 120,000 in a European Cup quarter-final against Juventus on 3 March 1986.[276] The modernisation of Camp Nou during the 1990s and the introduction ofall-seater stands means the record will not be broken for the foreseeable future as the current capacity of the stadium is 99,354.[277]
El Barça de les Cinc Copes is the first team in Spanish football to have won five trophies in a single season (1951–1952).[278][279][280] Barcelona is the only club to have played in every season of European competitions since they started in 1955 counting non-UEFA competition Inter-Cities Fairs Cup.[281][282] On 18 December 2009, alongside being the only Spanish club to achieve a continental treble, Barcelona became the first ever European football team to win six trophies in a calendar year (Sextuple).[283][284] In January 2018, Barcelona signedPhilippe Coutinho from Liverpool for €120 million, the highest transfer fee in club's history.[285][286] In August 2017, Barcelona player Neymar transferred toParis Saint-Germain for aworld record transfer fee of €222 million.[287][288]
In 2016, Barcelona'sLa Masia was ranked second by the International Centre for Sports Studies (CIES) as the most top-level players producing academy in the world.[289]
The first crest (left) worn by Barça from 1899 to 1910, and second crest (right), designed by Carles Comamala in 1910.
The club's original crest was a quartered diamond-shaped crest topped by theCrown of Aragon and thebat of King James, and surrounded by two branches, one of a laurel tree and the other a palm.[31] The club sharedBarcelona's coat of arms, as a demonstration of its identification with the city and a desire to be recognised as one.[290] In 1910, the club held a competition among its members to design a new crest. The winner was Carles Comamala, who at the time played for the club. Comamala's suggestion became the crest that the club wears today, with some minor variations. The crest consists of theSt George Cross in the upper-left corner with theCatalan flag beside it, and the team colours at the bottom.[291]
The blue andgarnet colours of the shirt were first worn in a match againstHispania in 1900.[292] Several competing theories have been put forth for the blue and garnet design of the Barcelona shirt. The son of the first president,Arthur Witty, claimed it was the idea of his father as the colours were the same as theMerchant Taylor's School team. Another explanation, according to author Toni Strubell, is that the colours are from Robespierre'sFirst Republic. In Catalonia the common perception is that the colours were chosen by Joan Gamper and are those of his home team,FC Basel.[293][294]
^The first kit worn by the club in 1899.[295] In the1999–2000 season, a similar model was worn to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the club and2024–25 season with an original model.[296]
^The club used halved shorts and a crest-inspired shirt during the2021–22 season.[300]
Kit suppliers and shirt sponsors
Since 1998, the club has had a kit deal withNike. In 2016, the deal was renewed until 2028 for a record €155 million per year. The contract includes a clause sanctioning penalty or agreement termination anytime if Barcelona fail to qualify for the European competitions or is relegated fromLa Liga.[301][302] In 2023, Barcelona became the revenue leader from the sale of kits and merchandising in Europe with a turnover of €179 million.[303][304]
Nike has been Barcelona's official kit supplier since 1998.
Although Spanish clubs first began displaying sponsor names on their shirts in 1981,[305] Barcelona held off having a name across the front of the shirt until 2006, when the club signed an agreement to haveUNICEF's name on their front.[306][307] Unlike traditional deals, this was not to have paying money to the club, but instead to have the club raise money for UNICEF. In 2011, the club signed its first commercial shirt sponsorship deal, when it reached an agreement withQatar Foundation.[308]
Throughout its history, the club has had various official songs. The anthem in use today is "Cant del Barça" (The Song of Barça), composed in 1974 on the occasion of the club's 75th anniversary. AuthorsJosep Maria Espinàs andJaume Picas composed the lyrics in Catalan, while the music was composed byManuel Valls.[315][316]
The song was first performed on 27 November 1974 atCamp Nou before the match between FC Barcelona and the East Germany national team by a 3,500-man choir led byOriol Martorell. On November 28, 1988, in celebration of the club's centenary, the song was performed by Catalan singer-songwriterJoan Manuel Serrat at the end of the festival at Camp Nou. Since the 2008–09 season, el Cant del Barça has been featured on the official Barcelona jerseys.
On the occasion of the club's 124th anniversary and with the start of preparations for the 125th anniversary, the club presented a new anthem version recording faithful to the essence of the original score and lyrics composed in 1974, with a better quality and enhanced orchestration and vocals. Composed by theVallès Symphony Orchestra, theOrfeó Català choral society and the Cor Jove youth choir, it is the current official version.[317][318]
El Cant del Barça is turned on before Barcelona games take place at Camp Nou, especially during matches against Real Madrid and just before the start of the meeting. The song is also often played for supporters and fans to cheer, chant and celebrate the victory.
Camp de Les Corts in 1939. It was the home stadium for Barcelona until the club moved to Camp Nou in 1957.
Barcelona initially played on different fields, one of the first to represent a fixed venue was the Camp de la Indústria. The capacity was about 6,000, and club officials deemed the facilities inadequate for a club with growing membership.[319]
In 1922, the number of supporters had surpassed 20,000 and by lending money to the club, Barça was able to build the larger Camp de Les Corts, which had an initial capacity of 20,000 spectators. After the Spanish Civil War the club started attracting more members and a larger number of spectators at matches. This led to several expansion projects: the grandstand in 1944, the southern stand in 1946, and finally the northern stand in 1950. After the last expansion, Les Corts could hold 60,000 spectators.[320]
After the construction was complete there was no further room for expansion at Les Corts. Back-to-back La Liga titles in 1948 and 1949 and the signing of László Kubala in June 1950, who would later go on to score 196 goals in 256 matches, drew larger crowds to the games.[320][321][322] The club began to make plans for a new stadium.[320] The building of Camp Nou commenced on 28 March 1954, before a crowd of 60,000 Barça fans. The first stone of the future stadium was laid in place under the auspices of Governor Felipe Acedo Colunga and with the blessing of Archbishop of Barcelona Gregorio Modrego. Construction took three years and ended on 24 September 1957 with a final cost of 288 millionpesetas, 336% over budget.[320]
One of theCamp Nou stands displays Barcelona's motto,"Més que un club", meaning 'More than a club'.
In 1980, when the stadium was in need of redesign to meet UEFA criteria, the club raised money by offering supporters the opportunity to inscribe their name on the bricks for a small fee. The idea was popular with supporters, and thousands of people paid the fee. Later this became the centre of controversy when media in Madrid picked up reports that one of the stones was inscribed with the name of long-time Real Madrid chairman and Franco supporter Santiago Bernabéu.[323][324][325] In preparation for the1992 Summer Olympics two tiers of seating were installed above the previous roofline.[326] It has a current capacity of 99,354 making it the largest stadium in Europe.[327]
In December 2021, a record 88% of the club members voted in favor of theEspai Barça project to revamp the club's sporting facilities, being the first online referendum in FC Barcelona history.[328] Originally projected to have been completed in 2021, renovation work on Camp Nou began on 1 June 2023 and it is now aimed to finish by the end of 2026, with an estimated €1.5 billion net funding.[329][330][331] During the renovation period, Barcelona will move for the entire2023–24 season toEstadi Olímpic Lluís Companys in Montjuïc, expecting to return in November 2024, with the stadium still under construction.[332]
There are also other facilities, which include:[333]
For a list of all former and current FC Barcelona players with a Wikipedia article, seeCategory:FC Barcelona players.
Spanish teams are limited to three players without EU citizenship. The squad list includes only the principal nationality of each player; several non-European players on the squad havedual citizenship with an EU country. Also, players from theACP countries that are signatories to theCotonou Agreement are not counted against non-EU quotas due to theKolpak ruling.[335]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
^Rimet, Pierre (4 January 1951).Rodrigues Filho, Mário (ed.)."Cartas de Paris - Das pirâmides do Egito ao colosso do Maracanã, com o Sr. Jules Rimet" [Letters from Paris - From the pyramids of Egypt to the colossus of Maracanã, with Mr. Jules Rimet].Jornal dos Sports (in Portuguese). No. 6554. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. p. 5.Archived from the original on 6 June 2020. Retrieved2 June 2017.A Taça Latina é uma competição criada pela F. I. F. A. a pedido dos quatro países que a disputam atualmente. Mas o Regulamento é feito por uma Comissão composta por membros das Federações concorrentes e de fato a F. I. F. A. não participa ativamente na organização
^"Former Results". International Federation of Football History & Statistics.Archived from the original on 15 June 2018. Retrieved16 December 2014.
^"Club World Ranking 2015". International Federation of Football History & Statistics.Archived from the original on 11 August 2019. Retrieved7 January 2015.
^abcCarnicero, José Vicente Tejedor (21 May 2010)."Spain – List of Cup Finals". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation.Archived from the original on 31 July 2017. Retrieved9 March 2010.
^Stokkermans, Karel; Gorgazzi, Osvaldo José (23 November 2006)."Latin Cup". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation.Archived from the original on 24 July 2017. Retrieved12 June 2010.
^"Kubala". FC Barcelona. 17 May 2002.Archived from the original on 30 May 2012. Retrieved5 October 2010.
^Ross, James M. (27 June 2007)."European Competitions 1960–61". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation.Archived from the original on 1 November 2012. Retrieved11 August 2010.
^"On Second Thoughts: Rivaldo".The Guardian. 19 June 2008.Archived from the original on 27 March 2019. Retrieved8 June 2014.Best of all there was the greatest hat-trick of all time, against Valencia on June 17, 2001, a midsummer night's dream of a performance that deserves a book
^"Ficha Técnica"(PDF) (in Spanish). Centro de Investigaciones Sociológicas. May 2007.Archived(PDF) from the original on 1 October 2018. Retrieved8 August 2010.
^"MEMORIA 2013-14"(PDF) (in Spanish). Fundació FCBARCELONA. August 2014.Archived(PDF) from the original on 22 February 2024. Retrieved22 February 2024.
^"MEMORIA ANUAL 2003/2004"(PDF) (in Spanish). Barcelona: FC Barcelona. p. 72.Archived(PDF) from the original on 13 July 2023. Retrieved1 November 2023.A lo largo de la temporada los jugadores del primer equipo han lucido en la manga izquierda de la camiseta el logotipo del Fórum 2004, como una forma de colaborar en la difusión internacional de este importante evento cultural que se está celebrando este año en nuestra ciudad.
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