 | ||||
| Full name | Club Esportiu Europa | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nicknames | Escapulats Europeistes Graciencs | |||
| Founded | 5 June 1907; 118 years ago (1907-06-05) | |||
| Ground | Nou Sardenya, Barcelona Catalonia, Spain | |||
| Capacity | 4,000 | |||
| President | Hèctor Ibar[1] | |||
| Head coach | Aday Benítez | |||
| League | Primera Federación – Group 2 | |||
| 2024–25 | Segunda Federación – Group 3, 1st of 18 (champions) | |||
| Website | www | |||
Club Esportiu Europa (Catalan pronunciation:[klubəspuɾˈtiwəwˈɾopə]) is aSpanish football team based in the city ofBarcelona, with close links to theVila de Gràcia, in the autonomous community ofCatalonia, Spain. Founded in 1907, its first men's team plays in thePrimera Federación – Group 2, the third category ofSpanish football andsecond team is active in theTercera Federación, the fifth tier. Moreover, thefirst women's team is active in thePrimera Federación, the second category ofSpanish women football, and thesecond team in the fourth one. Besides, the first U-19 team participates in theDivisión de Honor, the highest category in Spain. Europa's home games are played at theNou Sardenya, with a capacity of 4,000 seats.[2]
Europa lived its glory period in the 1920s. In 1918–19, the club achieved promotion to the highest division of Catalan football, theCampionat de Catalunya. In 1922–23, Europa was crowned champions of Catalonia after beatingFC Barcelona in a tiebreaker inGirona. This triumph gave the club the right to participate in theCopa del Rey, where Europa ended as the runner-up after losing toAthletic Club in the final.[3]
The club is best known for itsfootball team who in 1929, along with city neighboursFC Barcelona andRCD Espanyol, were among the 10 founder members ofLa Liga. Europa participated in La Liga in 1929,1929–30, and1930–31. The following glory era would be the 1960s, when Europa played five consecutive seasons in theSegunda División. On three occasions, Europa won theCopa Catalunya: in 1997 and 1998 by beatingFC Barcelona in the final and in 2015 by doing the same withGirona FC.
Europa's good reputation, especially in the 1920s, made it attractive for many international teams to play against the club. For example, Europa has competed in friendlies with teams likeFC Bayern Munich,Birmingham City FC,FC Porto,NAC Breda,Hamburger SV,Estudiantes de La Plata,Montpellier HSC,Udinese Calcio,Legia Warsaw, andAC Sparta Prague.[4]
Currently, Europa's main rival isUE Sant Andreu, with whom it disputes thePla de Barcelona derby. However, throughout the years, the fanbase of Europa has considered different clubs the main rival of a specific era, likeFC Barcelona in the 1920s,UE Sants in the 1940s and 1950s, andFC Martinenc in the 1980s and 1990s.[5][page needed]
In 2021, Europa became the first club in Catalonia to declare itself formally against racism,fascism,sexism, andhomophobia after a voting by the club members to change the statutes. Later, the club started initiatives and actions to realize its ideals.[6]
The club also has one of the oldest basketball teams in Spain, and on 8 December 1922, Europa playedLaietà BC in the first-ever organised basketball game played in Spain (won 8–2 by Europa). During the 1920s,the basketball team of Europa won theCatalan championship on two occasions (1924 and 1926).
Other sports sections that the club has had areathletics,hockey,rugby, andbaseball.
Club Esportiu Europa was founded on 5 June 1907, after the fusion between two modest clubs in the city,Provençal FC andMadrid de Barcelona FC. After the impossibility to register a new club in theCatalan Football Federation (FCF) due to the high entrance fee, the founding members decided to pay off the debts of a small club namedEuropa FC, which was a cheaper option, and kept the name. The foundational act occurred in the already disappearedBar Bodega La Roca, at the Carrer de Sicília, 290, in Barcelona.[7]
In 1909, Europa made its first appearance in the second division of theCatalan Championship, drawing 4–4 againstUE Sant Andreu.[8] In 1913–14, 1914–15, and 1915–16, the club participated in thepromotion playoffs, but without any success.[9] In 1917–18, Europa dropped to the third division after a league restructuring. This situation did not last long, as the club achieved promotion in 1917–18 and 1918–19, reaching the first division of Catalan football.[10]
During the 1920s, Europa would live its most glorious years, turningde facto into the second strongest club inCatalonia, underFC Barcelona and aboveRCD Espanyol. In both 1920–21 and 1921–22, the club finished as runner-up in the Catalan Championship before winning the title in 1922–23 under the English coachRalph Kirby. After finishing level on points withFC Barcelona, they then beat them 1–0 in a tiebreaker in theCamp de Vista Alegre,Girona. At that time, Europa was also the second Catalan football club with the most members: 6,000, and disposed over more sections than just football.[11]
Subsequently, Europa was the representative team of Catalonia in the1923 Copa del Rey, competing with the champions from other parts of Spain. Until the creation ofLa Liga in 1928, theCopa del Rey was the most prestigious championship in Spain. Europa defeatedSevilla FC in the quarterfinals (4–0 and 1–2) andSporting de Gijón in the semi-finals (3–2 and 1–2). In theCopa del Rey final at theLes Corts stadium, the club lost 1–0 toAthletic Bilbao.[12] According to the local press, Europa hit the post twice and was the dominant team.[13][14]
Europa finished as runners-up in theCampionat de Catalunya again in 1923–24, 1926–27, 1927–28 and 1928–29.
In 1928, Europa was invited as one of the 10 teams participating in thefirst edition ofLa Liga as one of the finalists of the Copa del Rey. The club made its debut inMadrid againstReal Madrid CF, losing 5–0. One week later, Europa receivedArenas Club de Getxo in Barcelona and won 5–2, thanks to the competition's first pure hat-trick byManuel Cros. During this season, the club beat Real Madrid (5–2) and Athletic Club at home, finally finishing 8th.[15]
Europa spent three seasons in the Primera División: 1929,1929–30 and1930–31. After the last season, they were relegated to theSegunda División.
In 1931, Europa merged withGràcia FC, formerly known asFC Espanya de Barcelona, to survive economically. This crisis was caused by the high costs of participation in La Liga and the rise ofprofessionalism. The fusion club received the name of Catalunya FC. However, the merger was not a success. During the1931/32 season, Catalunya FC, with three games to go, was unable to complete their fixture list due to an accumulation of debts. Moreover, the club finished last in the Catalan Championship. As a result, the 15 games they had played in theSegunda División were cancelled, and the team was put back to theTercera División. In the summer of 1932, this team ceased to exist.[16]
During the same 1931–32 season, some members of Europa who did not support the fusion maintained an amateur team under the same identity as the Europa from before. This way, the spirit of the club managed to survive after the disappearance of Catalunya FC. Slowly and carefully, the club was rebuilt in the lowest division of Catalan football. The directors acquired a stadium, were able to compose a team, and, most importantly, secured the continuance of the club.
In 1935–36, Europa almost achieved promotion to the first division of the Catalan Championship. After the outbreak of theCivil War, football in Catalonia continued, despite the difficulties. During this period, the club reached the first division of Catalan football. In 1939, its stadium suffered too much damage and could not be used anymore. After the war, the new authorities cancelled all the results of the competitions played during the war, meaning that Europa returned to the second division.[17]
In 1939–40, the club ended 2nd in the second tier but had no option to compete for promotion to the first tier, as the regional championships were dissolved to create regional divisions within theSpanish football pyramid.
Until 1940, the regional and national championships functioned independently. Between 1939 and 1940, Europa played its home games in the stadiums of other local teams, likeFC Martinenc,UE Sant Andreu, andUE Sants.[18]
After the disappearance of the Catalan Championship, Europa was placed in the Primera A for the 1940–41 season, a competition directly inferior to theTercera División. The team's results were not good enough and led to relegation. However, there were also positive developments, such as the opening of the Sardenya stadium in 1940.[19] After two seasons in the Primera B, Europa returned to the Primera A, maintaining their place in this competition between 1943 and 1951.
In 1950–51, Europa played a marvellous season and achieved promotion to the Tercera División, the third tier of Spanish football at the time. Between 1951 and 1961, the club stayed up without too much trouble, even attempting to achieve promotion to theSegunda División on some occasions.[20]
After ten seasons in the middle of the table, Europa was crowned champions in 1961–62. However, the club missed out on promotion after losing the playoffs final toUP Langreo. In 1962–63, luck was on Europa's side, and the team went up to the second division after beatingUD Mahón (4–0 and 2–2) andCaudal Deportivo (1–1 and 6–2).[21]
Europa participated for five consecutive seasons in theSegunda División, between 1963 and 1968. During these years, considered the second golden era of the club, Europa's best season was1963–64 when they finished third, very close to promotion to thePrimera División.
Another remarkable feat was beatingReal Zaragoza withlos Cinco Magníficos in the1966–67 Copa del Rey, even though the Aragonese team was the defending champion.[22] During the same season, Europa ended on a notable 6th place in theSegunda División.
A league restructuring in 1967–68, reducing the number of groups in the Segunda División from two to one, put Europa back in theTercera División.[23]
After the relegation, Europa played some good seasons in theTercera División and was close to returning to the second tier. Nevertheless, from1971–72 onwards, the results worsened significantly, and in1973–74, the club was even relegated to theRegional Preferent. These were tough times for the club, only returning to the Tercera División in 1977.[24] After the promotion, Europa finished many seasons in the lower part of the classification and could not avoid a second relegation to the highest regional league in 1986. Again, it would take three years to go up to the Tercera División.[25]
During the 1985–86 season, Europa changed its official name from the SpanishClub Deportivo Europa to the CatalanClub Esportiu Europa.[26]
Upon returning to the Tercera División in1989–90, Europa played a promising season and even competed for promotion to theSegunda División B, which had become the third category of Spanish football in 1977. However, during following seasons, the club finished in lower places on the table.[27]
Moreover, between 1992 and 1995, Europa had to play its home matches outside of its stadium. The Municipality of Barcelona, owner of the ground on which the stadium was built, decided to completely reconstruct the building. The renovation started with the construction of an underground parking lot, after which the installation of stands, a field, a swimming pool, and a sports complex next to the football field was realized. Moreover, the stadium disposes of artificial grass and all facilities that modern stadiums require. Meanwhile, Europa played its home games at the stadiums ofFC Martinenc andUA Horta.[28]
Despite the difficulties, Europa's results during the construction period improved. In1993–94, the club finished 4th and participated in the playoffs for promotion to the Segunda División B, in which they achieved that goal after a close battle withCD Roldán fromMurcia,CD Montuïri fromMallorca, andPinoso CF fromValencia.
The1994–95 season in the bronze category was, from a purely results-based perspective, horrible. Europa could not compete with other teams with a higher budget and did not dispose of its own stadium. The club was relegated to the Tercera División. On the other hand, the supporters of Europa celebrated the (re)opening of the Sardenya stadium, renamed toNou Sardenya, on 4 May 1995.[29] It was too late to contribute to the battle against relegation (as a matter of fact, Europa would only start to use the new stadium in the next season), but it turned out to be a boost for the club in the following years.
On 15 August 1995, coinciding with theFesta Major de Gràcia, Europa made its debut in the new stadium. The friendly match againstUE Lleida turned out to be the first edition of theVila de Gràcia Trophy.
After the inauguration of the Nou Sardenya, the club qualified for the promotion playoffs in the Tercera División in1995–96,1996–97,1998–99, and2000–01, without achieving its goal.[30]
In the meantime, more editions of the Vila de Gràcia Trophy were organised, which turned into an annual tradition. Furthermore, the football school of Europa was established during these years, a school that would grow every year.
The most remarkable feat of this decade is, without a doubt, the amazing results in theCopa Catalunya in 1997 and 1998, in which Europa beat teams likeCE Sabadell FC,RCD Espanyol, andFC Barcelona to conquer two trophies. In the 1996–97 season, Europa knocked out Sabadell (1–0) and Espanyol (0–0) in the semi-finals played at theNova Creu Alta (the draw between Sabadell and Espanyol placed Europa for the final). In the final, played in the stadium ofCE L'Hospitalet, Europa defeated reigningUEFA Cup Winners' Cup championsFC Barcelona by 3–1 in a historic match.[31]
In the 1997–98 season, Europa repeated something that was deemed irrepetible. In the semi-final, played at the Nou Sardenya, the team won against Espanyol (2–0). In the final, disputed in FC Barcelona'sMini Estadi, Europa facedBarça yet again and drew 1–1, winning the penalty series (3–4).FC Barcelona had won the national double that season, but could not beat Europa.[32]
During the first decade of the new century, Europa finished in discrete places in the Tercera División, close to relegation. In2003–04, the team suffered a dropdown, but returned to the Tercera División one year later, after which the team finished in some mid-table positions.[33]
Since 2001, Europa has witnessed a growth on many levels. The youth academy kept on growing until reaching a number of over 30 teams, facilitated by the opening of a second stadium: theCamp de l'Àliga. Also in 2001, the women's team was created, as well as many new fan groups. Moreover, Europa presented its own website (2001), television channel (2003), radio channel (2008), and newspaper (2010). Meanwhile, the club recovered its basketball andfutsal sections, even though these would disappear rapidly.
During the 2007–08 season, Europa celebrated itscentenary. One of the many festivities was the celebration of a friendly game againstCA Osasuna in the Nou Sardenya, which ended 1–2 in favor of theNavarrese team.
By 2012, Europa started playing strong seasons in theTercera División, after many years of mediocre results. The club qualified four times in a row for the playoffs for promotion to theSegunda División B, which could be achieved after surviving three rounds against teams from other groups.
In2012–13, Europa ended 3rd in the league. In the first round of the playoffs, Europa was paired withArandina CF fromCastile and León. Europa lost 0–1 at home and 2–0 away, being knocked out.
In2013–14, Europa ended 3rd again. In the first round of the playoffs, the club beatUD Mutilvera fromNavarre (1–0 and 0–0), but was defeated in the second round byUD Socuéllamos fromCastile-La Mancha (0–0 and 2–0).
In2014–15, the club finished 3rd again, but lost in the first round of the playoffs toJerez CF fromExtremadura (1–0 and 2–0).
In2015–16, Europa ended 3rd for the fourth time in a row. In the first round of the playoffs, Europa was beaten bySan Fernando CD fromAndalusia (1–1 and 2–3).
However, there was also good news. Europa won a third edition of theCopa Catalunya in2014–15, after beatingGirona FC in the final by 2–1. This final was won in theNou Sardenya, which allowed many supporters to witness this historic night.
After four similar seasons, Europa's results worsened in the following years, alternating high and low classifications. The2019–20 season started promising, as Europa was one of the contenders for the title, but was interrupted by theCOVID-19 pandemic. The regular season was suspended and the fourth highest-placed teams, including Europa, were placed in a small tournament for promotion. Europa lost 1–0 toTerrassa FC.
In 2020–21, Europa was more successful. The unusual season (still affected by the pandemic) resulted in a title for the club. The team achieved direct promotion to the newSegunda División RFEF, the new fourth tier ofSpanish football.
2021–22 did not transpire as Europa hoped. It turned out to be a tough competition and resulted in relegation for the club. The next season, however, finished positively. The first men's team returned to theSegunda Federación, thefirst women's team achieved promotion to thePrimera Federación, the men's reserve team achieved promotion to theLliga Elit, and the first U-19 team achieved promotion to theDivisión de Honor.
Moreover, in 2023, Europa announced more than a doubling of the number of club members (to 1,800) and broke the attendance record.[34] In the summer of 2024 the team reached the play-offs for promotion to Primera Federación, however, they were eliminated in the first round byBetis Deportivo Balompié.[35]
In the2024–25 season CE Europa achieved the championship of Group 3 of the Segunda Federación, winning promotion to the Primera Federación.[36]
In the summer of 2025, CE Europa began to face the complexities of sporting growth within the Spanish football pyramid. Due to the need for a larger budget, the club launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise funds, successfully securing €225,365.[37] On the other hand, the team was forced to find a new ground because the regulations of the Primera Federación require clubs to play on natural grass pitches, a requirement that cannot be met at Nou Sardenya. Consequently, starting in January 2026, the team will play its home matches at a temporary stadium built in Can Dragó, a sports complex located four kilometers from the Vila de Gràcia.[38]
Europa plays its home matches in theNou Sardenya, opened on 1 December 1940 and completely rebuilt in 1995. It is located in theVila de Gràcia, between the streets of Sardenya (from which it has its name), Camèlies, and Pau Alsina. It has a capacity of 4,000,[39] artificial grass, and dimensions 100x63 meters.
Since January 2026, Europa was forced to play its home matches in the Primera Federación at a temporary stadium located in Can Dragó, a park and sports complex located inNou Barris, a district of Barcelona.[40] The stadium has a capacity to hold 3,000 spectators and features natural grass, a mandatory condition for Primera Federación clubs, so Europa will continue to play its matches in competitions such as Copa del Rey and Copa Catalunya at Nou Sardenya.[41]
Since 2001, Europa manages theCamp de l'Àliga, a municipality-owned stadium built in 1991 in theDistrict of Gràcia, in the neighborhood ofVallcarca i els Penitents. This allowed the club to expand the football school and increase the number of teams in the youth academy. The field used to be made out of dirt, but has artificial grass since 2004.
Throughout the years, Europa has played its home matches in many different fields in Barcelona.[42] Out of all of them, theCamp del Guinardó was the most important and representative one.
| Name | Era |
|---|---|
| CD Europa | 1907–85 |
| CE Europa | 1985– |
From the foundation in 1907 to 1918, Europa's players were dressed in a shirt with white and blue vertical stripes and blue shorts. In 1918, the shirt became fully white, except for a blue collar. In 1926, Europa started playing with a white shirt and a bluechevron, which has become one of the primary symbols of the club. Even though the motive is unsure, the most accepted theory is that the shirt has been inspired by that of Birmingham City FC, a team that had visited Barcelona some years earlier.[43]
During the 2007–08 season, the season of the club's centenary, the shirt design changed to one that included the blue chevron and the blue collar.
Europa's socks used to be black or another dark colour until 1955 (all teams used to do this until this year), after which white socks were alternated with black/dark ones. Between 1961 and 2007, Europa's socks were white, and since the year of the centenary, the socks have always been blue.
The current crest, which has been modernised over the decades, appeared for the first time in 1915. It substituted a crest that had been the club's symbol since 1907. The author of the new logo was Jacint Olivé Font, a local artist and a player for Europa.
The crest reflects two of the most characteristic objects in football: a ball and a goal. In the superior area, blue and white stripes still remind us of the first shirt design of Europa. In the middle, the initials of the club can be read.
Europa's hymn is calledEuropa, sempre endavant![44] and was composed in Robert Baquero. The lyrics go as follows.
| Catalan | English |
|---|---|
| Europa, Europa, Europa sempre endavant! no tinguem por del que vindrà el futur hem de guanyar! Europa, Europa, Europa sempre endavant! que la nostra fe en la victòria a tothom faci vibrar Portem amb orgull el blau escapulari sentim els colors ben endintre del cor Europa, Europa, Europa sempre endavant! que la nostra fe en la victòria a tothom faci vibrar... i que la nostra gran història poc a poc poguem retrobar Europa, Europa, Europa... endavant, endavant! | Europa, Europa, Europa always forward! Let's not be scared of what's to come We have to conquer the future! Europa, Europa, Europa always forward! Let our faith in victory Make everyone shake! We wear the blue chevron with pride We feel the colours well inside our heart Europa, Europa, Europa always forward! Let our faith in victory Make everyone shake... And that step by step We can retrieve our great history! Europa, Europa, Europa... forward, forward! |
Europa's supporters are known aseuropeistes orescapulats.
This last nickname refers to the club's shirt, concretely to the bluechevron (escapulari inCatalan) that has become one of the main symbols of the club.
Moreover, the players are colloquially calledgraciencs, thedemonym ofGràcia.[45]
Throughout the years, Europa has known many official publications, principally in the form of paper magazines, published since the 1950s.[46] Since 2001, Europa created many digital media outlets.
The club's official website has been active since 11 November 2001, and publishes at least one post per day since 2003.[47] Europa's official website was the first one in Spain to broadcast a live match, being considered one of the pioneers among official website of Spanish football clubs.
L'Escapvlat is the official newspaper of the club.[48] It has been published since February 2010, and in December 2023, it became a trimestral magazine.[49] It only discusses club-related content and is distributed for free among members and supporters at many places throughout Barcelona.[50] Its name derived from the nickname for Europa's players,escapulats, a nickname based on the shirt of Europa (chevron isescapulari in Catalan).
Europa has known other online media outlets, such as Europa TV (started in 2003) and Europa Ràdio (2008). However, these channels disappeared after the growth in popularity of social media, such as Facebook,Instagram, andX, on which the club is currently also active.
Europa is often presented as a neighborhood club, a club with relatively low ticket fees, a club that facilitates close contact between players and supporters, and a club owned by its members. These characteristics have attracted dozens of new local and foreign members.[5][page needed]
Over the last years, Europa's popularity has increased in national and international news outlets due to its profile as a more accessible club withinBarcelona, together withUE Sant Andreu, especially when put in contrast with the professional football clubs from the city,FC Barcelona andRCD Espanyol.[51][52][53]
During the 2010s, the club started to revendicate its origins in El Poblet, backed by its social activity in the neighborhood and the creation of the fan group La 290 – El Poblet in 2024.[54][55][56]
In 2021, via the DIEM NO campaign, via the Europa became the first Catalan club to declare itself formally against racism,fascism,sexism, andhomophobia after a voting by the club members to change the statutes. Later, the club started initiatives and actions to realize its ideals.[57]
Moreover, Europa has defended the usage of theCatalan language during its entire history and still communicates exclusively in Catalan.[5][page needed]
TheVila de Gràcia Trophy is a friendly football tournament organised annually by Europa since 1995, which coincided with the inauguration of theNou Sardenya. The tournament consists of one match between Europa's first men's team and an invited team. Generally, the friendly is played on 15 August, coinciding with the celebrations of the Festa Major de Gràcia and serving as the start of the footballing season of the club.
In 2003, the fan group Caliu Gracienc organised a similar trophy for the first women's team: the Caliu Gracienc Trophy. The tradition was lost in 2013 and recovered four years later, revived as the homonymousVila de Gràcia Trophy. This friendly tournament is usually held in the end of August or the beginning of September.
After the elections on 23 April 2023,[58] the current board of directors is formed by the following people:
| Position | Staff |
|---|---|
| President | Hèctor Ibar |
| Vice Presidents | Vicenç Martí |
| Àlex López | |
| Treasurer | Cesc Boada |
| Secretary | Jordi Collell |
| Spokesperson | Jordi Marí |
| Albert Tomàs | |
| Jacobo Ocharan | |
| Carles Mur | |
| Ramon Armengol | |
| Daniel Sánchez |
Europa has known a total of 35 presidents, two of which repeated a term.[59]
1907–1948
| 1948–1975
| 1975–present
|
Source:[60]
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Category:CE Europa footballers
The following list includes players who acquired national or international fame before or after playing at Europa.
Rubén Epitié
Zoltán Czibor
Boison Wynney
Eulogio Martínez
Marià GonzalvoAntoni RamalletsAntonio de la CruzThe following list includes players who acquired local or national fame while playing at Europa.
Manuel Cros Joan Bordoy Antonio Alcázar Cándido Mauricio Pepe Mauri Rogeli Pàmpols Pep Rovira Ventura Gómez Carles Capella Àlex Delmàs Xavi Lucas Alberto González Àlex CanoEuropa's all-time top goalscorer isManuel Cros, with 113 goals. Europa's player with the most appearances ever isÀlex Cano, with 506 matches.[61]
TheFundació Privada Esportiva Europa, or Private Sports Foundation Europa, is a non-profit organisation linked to Europa, dedicated to the social promotion of the club, constituted officially on 10 September 2003.[62] The office is located in theCamp de l'Àliga.
Within the Foundation, different sports-related activities are promoted:
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.
|
| Position | Staff |
|---|---|
| Coach | Aday Benítez |
| Assistant coach | Alberto González |
| Goalkeeper coach | Pedro Puigserver |
| Fitness coach | Jesús Rodicio |
| Fitness coach | Víctor Molina |
| Physiotherapist | Adrià Lorenzo |
| Physiotherapist | Noelia Balaguer |
| Delegate | Enric Vargas |
| Video / Scouting |  Yoshinobu Nishizaki |
| Utilityman | Ignasi Carranza |
| Head of Press | Manel Añó |
Since 2001, Europa has a women's team, and during later years, more and more women's and girls' teams have been created in the club's youth academy. The first women's team is active in theSegunda Federación, the third division of national football. This way, the women's team is Europa's highest-placed senior team.
The first steps in the development of the youth academy were taken in 1991 when a football school independent form the club was created. Given the good results (both in the league and economically speaking), the school was incorporated in the club three years later. The opening of theNou Sardenya, theCamp de l'Àliga, and the implementation of artificial grass in the latter stimulated the growth of the youth academy.
Currently, Europa manages a total of 46 teams, 16 of which are registered under the Private Sports Foundation Europa, an entity linked to the club, without any difference in functioning.[64]
In 2002, Europa reached an agreement withUE Caprabo in thePrimera Regional, converting this club in the reserve team of Europa. The club's name changed to UE Caprabo Europa B, but maintained its distinctive identity. The first notable success was the promotion to thePrimera Catalana in 2006.
Even though it seemed that the club would be integrated entirely in the structure of Europa, the collaboration stopped in 2007, coinciding with a relegation.[65] Later, UE Caprabo was absorbed byAE Josep Maria Gené.
In 2012–13,CE Europa B was born, a reserve team that formed part of Europa from the beginning. The team started to compete in theQuarta Catalana, the lowest competition possible. In 2022–23, Europa B achieved promotion to theLliga Elit. In 2023–24 the team achieved promotion toTercera Federación.
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The biggest success of the youth academy was the promotion of the first U-19 team to the highest division possible: theDivisión de Honor. Ever since, this team has alternated this competition and the Liga Nacional, the second division of youth football.
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As of the 2025–26 season, Europa disposes of 3,600 members and 16 official fan groups.[67][68]
| Group name | Creation date |
|---|---|
| Agrupació Europeista | 1948 |
| Grup Europeista Pep Rovira | 1980 |
| Caliu Gracienc | 1996 |
| Torcida Escapulada | 2002 |
| Cavallers | 2013 |
| Eskapulats | |
| PyonYang Escapulat | 2016 |
| The Elements | 2018 |
| Xupitos | 2019 |
| The Old Bastards | 2021 |
| Comelinier | 2023 |
| Infiltrats | 2024 |
| La 290 – El Poblet | |
| Penya Bescantats | |
| Grup Europeista Carles Bestit | 2025 |
| Penya Europeista La Renaixença |
| Season | Member count |
|---|---|
| 2020-21 | 495 |
| 2021-22 | 442 |
| 2022-23 | 732 |
| 2023-24 | 1.948[69] |
| 2024-25 | 2.800[70] |
| 2025-26 | 3.600[67] |
Europa's supporters are known aseuropeistes orescapulats. This last nickname refers to the club's shirt, concretely to the bluechevron (escapulari inCatalan) that has become one of the main symbols of the club. Moreover, the players are colloquially calledgraciencs, thedemonym ofGràcia.[71]
Europa has a clearly defined political profile since the launch of the DIEM NO campaign, in which the club formally declared itselfantifascist,antiracist,antihomophobic andantisexist, being the first Catalan club doing so.[72] Moreover, Europa has defended the usage of theCatalan language during its entire history and still communicates exclusively in Catalan.[5][page needed] Europa's main animation group, theEskapulats, share these values.[5][page needed]
Over the last years, Europa's popularity has increased in national and international news outlets due to its profile as a more accessible club withinBarcelona, together withUE Sant Andreu, especially when put in contrast with the professional football clubs from the city,FC Barcelona andRCD Espanyol.[73][74][75] Europa is often presented as a neighborhood club, a club with relatively low ticket fees, a club that facilitates close contact between players and supporters, and a club owned by its members. These characteristics have attracted dozens of new local and foreign members.[5][page needed]
Since the last years of the 1910s, Europa has been known as the representative football club ofGràcia.[5][page needed] Before, Europa was known as a football club fromEl Poblet, as this neighborhood was the place where Europa was founded and played during its early years. During the 2010s, the club started to revendicate its origins in El Poblet, backed by its social activity in the neighborhood and the creation of the fan group La 290 – El Poblet in 2024.[76][77][78]
Other territories that are considered to have ties to Europa arethe Baix Guinardó,the Camp d'en Grassot,Sant Gervasi,la Salut,Vallcarca i els Penitents, andCan Baró.[5][page needed][79] This was proven by an analysis done by the Club in 2024, showing that 83.5% of the members at the time lived in thePlain of Barcelona and 40% of its members was concentrated in Gràcia.[80] Moreover, the Club had members in over a hundred municipalities throughoutCatalonia.
TheGrup d'Història Ramon Vergés, or History Group Ramon Vergés, is an independent association that investigates and documents the history of Europa.[81] The group was founded on the 26th of November 2017 thanks to the collaboration of six Europa supporters with a passion for its history. The name of the group pays tribute to Ramon Vergés i Soler, a club historian, delegate, and director who also wrote three books about Europa's history.[82][83] TheGrup d'Història Ramon Vergés investigates, documents, and explains the club's history in various ways.
TheGrup d'Història Ramon Vergés investigates, documents, and explains the club's history in various ways. The association researches statistics, biographies of ex-players, the previous stadiums and crests, descriptions of historic matches, and other historical phenomena related to Europa. Afterwards, the investigations are usually presented on their website or social media accounts, while the group also has a section in the podcastToc Escapulat.[84] Moreover, the association has published documentaries about Europa, has started the process of the name change of the main stand in theNou Sardenya toTribuna Ramon Vergés i Soler, has organised acts and tributes to persons and groups that have been important for Europa, and conserves an extensive collection of historical Europa-related objects.[85][86]
The current main rival of Europa isUE Sant Andreu, with whom thePla de Barcelona derby is disputed. It is considered that the rivalry intensified in 2007, during a match in the Camp Municipal Narcís Sala.[87] The rivalry has been maintained alive since the present, especially among the supporters groups of both clubs: theEskapulats (Europa) and theDesperdicis (Sant Andreu).
Throughout the years, there have been different Catalan teams that have been considered rivals by the fanbase of Europa. Among those areFC Internacional (1910s),CE Júpiter (1910s),FC Barcelona (1920s),UD Gràcia (1940s),UE Sants (1950s and 1960s),FC Martinenc (1920s, 1980s, and 1990s), andUE Sant Andreu (since 2007).[5][page needed] The rivalries with FC Barcelona, UE Sants, and UE Sant Andreu have been known as the most intensely lived.
In the 1920s, Europa was a multi sports club, as everything was still amateur of nature and the sportsmen were able to practice different sports. In this era, there was the section ofathletics (around 1920), basketball (1922),hockey (1925), and baseball.[88]
The most noteworthy section was the first one, especially in Cross, which won a Catalan title. Moreover, Europa disposed over arugby section (1930), the section with the shortest life.[89]
The crisis in 1931 caused the dissolution of all the others sections besides football, leaving Europa to be exclusively dedicated to this sport. In the 1990s, the club recovered the basketball section and created one forfutsal, but both disappeared quickly.
The club also had one of the oldest basketball teams in Spain. Europa played the first ever organised basketball match in Spain, on 8 December 1922 in the Camp del Carrer de Sicília, beatingLaietà BC by 8–2. It was a successful era for the basketball team, winning theCatalan championship twice (1924 and 1926).
In 2021, Europa announced the creation of a subsection of itsesports section: virtual basketball.[90] The team participates in thevideogames of theNBA 2K series at thePlayStation 5 in the ProAm mode.[91]
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