Football Club Barcelona

Football Barcelona Club is a sport organization of the city of Barcelona, (Spain). It was founded like Football club the 20 of November of 1899 by twelve young become fond of Football players, led by the Swiss Hans Gamper. The FC Barcelona is known popularly like Barça, abbreviation of the pronunciación of "Barcelona" and their followers like "culés" (adaptation of Catalan culers). It is possible to make notice that the official name of the club is "Football Barcelona Club", written in Catalan, reason why the letter "or" of "Football" does not take orthographic accent.One of the main characteristics of the FC Barcelona is its polideportivo character. In addition to its main section, the one of Football, the club counts on other four professional sections: those of basketball, handball, hockey on skids and Football room, in which one of the best clubs of Europe is considered. Between the five professional sections, the FC Barcelona adds 27 Glasses of Europe.In addition to these five professional sections, the club counts on sections amateurs in other sport disciplines: hockey on grass, athletics, skating, ice hockey, baseball, volleyball, rugby and cycling.Another one of its distinguishing facts is its enormous social mass of partners and fans. The club escaped in 2006 the 150,000 partners, which turns to him the club of Football with more associate of the world, followed of the Bayern de German Múnich .They exist, in addition, more than 1,800 Barcelonist rocks distributed everywhere. It is possible to write down that the FC Barcelona is one of the four only clubs of Spain (next to Real Madrid, Athletic of Bilbao and Osasuna) that is not joint-stock company, so that the property of the club falls to its partners.

Barcelona History

Football Barcelona Club was founded the 29 of November of 1899 by a group of twelve fans to Football, summoned by the Swiss Hans Gamper by means of an announcement published in the magazine Deportes the 22 of October of he himself year. Between the twelve founders of the club there were six Spaniards, three English, two Swiss and a German. The selected original name was "Football Barcelona Club", in English, and it was designated to English Walter Wild like first president of the club for being the person of more age of between the presents.At the end of his first decade obtained his first titles, a Glass of Spain and a Glass of the Pyrenees.During years 1910 the club gave a great jump, sport as as much social: it gained two Glasses of Spain and three Glasses of the Pyrenees, and arrived already at the 3,000 associate, becoming one of the most popular societies of Catalonia. In those years it was when the name of "culés" became popular referring to the fans of the club. The equipment played its parties in a field located in the street Industry of Barcelona, that filled massively when Barcelona played, and from the street it was seen how they were seated, of backs, the fans located in the highest part of graderío. The image from the street was the one of a great amount of buttocks (asses), for that reason, to the fans of Barcelona it was begun to them to call "culés". Of that decade also it is possible to write down that, in 1914, the club created his first polideportiva section, the one of athletics.Years 1920 happened to history like the first golden time of the club. One went of 3,000 to 11,000 partners and, in 1922, the first great stage of the Club was released, Them Corts, with capacity for 30,000 spectators. They were years in which the club gained four Glasses of Spain and, in 1929, first Spanish Liga of history. Also it is possible to write down the incidents happened in 1925 when the government of the dictatorship of Cousin of Creek closed the stage of Them Corts during six months and forced to resign to president Hans Gamper because of the whistles with which the Barcelonist liking received the interpretation of the Real March in the prolegómenos of an encounter. Of that decade it is possible to emphasize that the club advanced in the line to extend its polideportivo character, and created the hockey sections grass, basketball and rugby.Years 1930 were of great crisis for the club. The decade with the suicide of Hans Gamper began, probably due to the catastrophic economic situation in which 1929 were sunk after the collapse of stock-market of Wall ßstreet in [mentions required]. Later, with the coming of the Second Republic a reduction of the number of partners took place that worsened with the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War in 1936. That year, in addition, the president of the club Josep Sunyol, who was politician of Republican Esquerra of Catalunya, was assassinated at the hands of the pro-Franco troops in an ambush in the Mountain range of Guadarrama. The club finished the decade with only 2,500 partners.During years 1940 the club was surpassing its social and sport crisis little by little. The club was taken by the authorities of the new pro-Franco regime that, in ahead and until 1953, they would directly designate to the president of the club. The new directors hispanicized all the estates of the club, eliminating any catalanista or Anglo-Saxon connotation. In 1940 the club happened to denominate "Club of Barcelona Football" instead of "Football Barcelona Club", and the shield was modified: the four were suppressed I sweep of the Catalan flag to place in their place the Spanish flag, although in 1949, in the occasion of the golden wedding of the club, the government authorized the reinstauración of the Catalan flag. In the sport plane the equipment recomposed after the crisis of the war, and they were ended up conquering three Spanish leagues, a Glass of Spain and two Glasses Eva Duarte. In addition, in years 40 new polideportivas sections were created between which they emphasized those of handball and hockey on skids. All it contributed to that, when finalizing the decade, agreeing with the golden wedding of the club, the 25,000 partners surpassed themselves.Years 1950 were one of the best decades of the history of the club, as much in the sport plane as social. The draftee of Ladislao Kubala, in 1950, was the angular stone on which an equipment was constructed that, in that decade, obtained 3 Spanish leagues, 5 Glasses of Spain, 4 glasses Eva Duarte, 3 Duward Glass, 1 Latin Glass, 2 Martini Glass Rossi, and 1 Small Glass of the World of Clubs. The social mass grew until the 38,000 partners who left the field of Them Corts small, so that a new stage was constructed, the Camp Nou, inaugurated in September of 1957. Other outstanding facts of that decade were the celebration of the first semi-democratic elections (the partners voted only men) to the presidency of the club, in 1953. That same year took place contentious with Real Madrid by the draftee of Alfredo Di Stefano.

It is possible to say that during almost the 40 years of the dictatorship of Francisco Franco in Spain, when the Catalan political institutions were prohibited and repressed, the club became one of the symbols of the antifrancoist fight in Catalonia and the resistance against the centralism that represented the pro-Franco regime. The stage of the F.C. Barcelona became one of the few scenes public where the fans expressed themselves freely, and the club became the best ambassador of Catalonia in the outside. It was in those years when one said that, by its symbolism, Barcelona was more "than a club".After the successes of years 50 the crisis arrived from the years 1960, in which the football team only managed to gain 2 Glasses of Spain and 2 Glasses of Fairs. These titles, nevertheless, did not manage to compensate the defeat in the end of the Glass of Europe of 1961, the social crisis generated by the marches of Helenio Herrera and Luis Suárez to the Inter of Milan (with which the Italian set would gain two Glasses of Europe), nor the European successes of the great Barcelonist rival, Real Madrid. In spite of everything, the number of partners increased from the 39,000 to the 55,000 during that decade.During years 1970 it continued the unstoppable increase of partners of the club: one went from the 55,000 to the 80.000. They were the years in which Spanish Football opened the doors to the foreigners, and the club fichó to players like Johan Cruyff, Johan Neeskens, Hugo Sotil, Krankl or Simonsen. The football team conquered in that decade Spanish Liga, two Glasses of the King, 1 Glass of Champions of Fairs and one Recopa of Europe. In 1978 Josep Lluís Núñez arrived at the presidency, who would direct to the club following the two decades.Years 1980 were of great investments in the star draftee great like Maradona, Schuster or Lineker, but the football team only could gain in Spain a league, three Glasses of the King, Supercopa and two Glasses of Liga. At European level two gained Recopas, but it became to lose a end of the Glass of Europe, the disputed one in Seville in 1986. After one it burdens sport and social crisis, in 1988 the club contracted Johan Cruyff like trainer, a fact that would mark the destiny of the club during the following decade. Most positive of years 80 it was the extension of the Camp Nou, the increase of partners, whom the number of the 100,000 surpassed, the economic revitalización of the club, and the successes of the basketball sections, handball and hockey on skids, that conquered important Spanish and European titles.




The decade of years 1990 was the best decade of the history of Soccer Barcelona Club. They were ten years of successes for the club in all the orders, as much in the soccer land as in the sport sections. The football team, trained by Johan Cruyff, and with figures like four Koeman, Guardiola, Stoichkov, Romário, Laudrup, Zubizarreta or consecutive Bakero gained Ligas between 1991 and 1994, and the 20 of May of 1992 conquered the appraised title more of the club: the Glass of Europe, in the mythical stage of Wembley, before the Italian Sampdoria. During these years, the equipment carried out a great game and was known popularly with the name “Dream Team”, imitating the terminology that was used with the equipment of basketball of the U.S.A. in the JJOO of 1992. After the defeat in the end of the Glass of Europe of 1994 in front of Milan by 4-0 in Athens, one occurred by closed the era of the “Dream Team” and the sport situation of the equipment was deteriorated until the point of a deep social division between those in favor of the trainer, Johan Cruyff and those in favor of president, Josep Lluís Núñez. The traumatic goodbye of Cruyff created a great social crisis in the club, that not desaparecerió in spite of the titles obtained by Bobby Robson and Louis van Gaal, and ended up ending at the resignation of Josep Lluís Núñez in 2000. Years 1990 were also a great decade for the sport sections. The basketball equipment consolidated in the elite of the Spanish and European basketball, although it was not able to gain the Glass of Europe, whose end disputed in four occasions in this decade. The handball equipment became the best equipment of handball of the world: it gained all the titles, between which they emphasize six Glasses of Europe.

Years 2000 can be divided clearly in two stages. After the resignation of Núñez in 2000, president Joan Gaspart was chosen. Its three years as president settled itself without soccer titles in spite of the investment of 180 million euros that became in draftees. The only sport successes contributed the sections to them, specially the basketball equipment that in the 2003 was able to gain the Euroliga. After the resignation of Gaspart Joan Laporta, who confronted a deep sport renovation, economic and social arrived at the presidency. Fichó to players like Ronaldinho, Eto'o, Rafael Márquez and Deco and the equipment, trained by Frank Rijkaard, was able to gain two consecutive Spanish leagues and second Liga de Campeones, and the social mass of the club surpassed for the first time in history the number of the 140,000 partners.

Sociopolítica dimension of the club

At the moment the FC Barcelona agglutinates to partners and fans of all the political ideologies, religious beliefs and geographic origins. Nevertheless, according to most of historians and sociologists, the enormous social mass of the club has not responded historically to exclusively sport reasons, but also to the representative character that, for many fans, the club in the social and political land has had and has.The club, considered like the more well-known social organization of Catalonia in the outside, has fulfilled throughout its history, for many fans, a representative function of defense of the catalanistas values, that the club has defended publicly in multiple occasions, as Jimmy points the English journalist Burns in his Barça book, the passion of a town. The club always has meant by activities and gestures in defense of the culture and the Catalan language, that always has been the official language of all documents of the club, safe in the years of pro-Franco dictatorship. Except in that same period, the captain of the equipment always has shone the Catalan flag like distinguishing bracelet. The club, in addition, also has been pronounced formal and publicly in support of the vindications of greater autonomy for Catalonia, and signed manifestos of support to the statutes of autonomy as much in 1931 as in 1979 and, recently, 2005.That trajectory of defense of the Catalan values was recognized the 21 of December of 1992 when the Majority of Catalonia, presided over by Jordi Pujol, granted the Creu to him de Sant Jordi, the Maxima distinction that the government of Catalonia grants.Some historians and ensayistas, like Manuel Vázquez Montalbán, got to aim that, for many Catalans, the FC Barcelona plays in Catalonia the role sustitutorio of the Catalan selection in the international concert, in spite of the long tradition of Spanish sportsmen of nonCatalan origin and foreigners that has had the club. These ensayistas aim that that one is one of the reasons by which the Barcelonist club account with equipment in so many different sport disciplines as the basketball, handball, hockey on skids, athletics, volleyball, et cetera.In that line, it is possible to write down that the FC Barcelona has been pronounced publicly in please the international recognition of the Catalan sport selections. In the last years not only it has promoted the organization of friendly parties between the selection of Catalonia and other international selections of first level like Brazil or Argentina, but that it has yielded gratuitously his facilities as host of the encounter and has lent all his sportsmen. In addition, the club has signed manifest public in please the cause. During the presidency of Joan Laporta, he himself and some player as Oleguer participated in an advertising campaign of Catalan the Pro-Selection Platform that, under eslogan “a nation, a selection”, occupied advertising in a great amount of mass media written and audio-visual spaces of Catalonia.In spite of its entailment with catalanistas ideas, the club are counted always with great amount of fans and even partners in all Spain, outside Catalonia, attracted by the sport values of the club. Some historians, nevertheless, have aimed who, in addition to the admiration by the sport values, many Spanish fans get along with Barcelona when seeing in the Catalan club the alternative ““the political centralism”” which they identify to Real Madrid, specially from the years of the pro-Franco dictatorship. He was in those years when the phrase was coined of which the FC Barcelona was more “than a club”, that became eslogan more well-known of the organization.On the other hand, and since they have pointed diverse historians, the club also agglutinated, specially during his first decades of life, to the supporters of the republicanism. From principles of century XX different facts point the complicity of the leaders of the club with the republican ideals. It is possible to make notice that, unlike most of Spanish clubs of the time, Barcelona never asked for the recognition of the Spanish monarchy nor the concession of the treatment of “Real”.

The moment of greater spacing between the club and the Spanish monarchy took place under the reign of Alfonso XIII, and during the dictatorship of Cousin of Creek. In the stage of Them Corts, the fans of Barcelona had showed critics to the dictatorship and exhibited some placards against the regime. Finally, the 14 of June of 1925 the 14,000 fans of the stage booed the Real March, interpreted by a band. Days later, the Commander in chief and Governing Civilian of Barcelona Joaquin Milans of the Bosch issued an order that closed the stage during six months, and forced to resign to Hans Gamper like president of the club and to exiliar itself to Switzerland during one season. The order of closing of the stage justified the measurement indicating that “in the mentioned society there are people who agree with opposite ideas to the good of the Mother country”, as she gathers the historian Jaume Sobrequés in his work FC Barcelona, One hundred years of history. It was the sanction harder than it has received the club in all his history. As it indicates the own Sobrequés, the culminating point of the commitment of the club with the republican principles mainly took place as of 1931, when the Second Spanish Republic was proclaimed and, from the beginning of the Spanish Civil War when, 1936, the FC Barcelona voluntarily became “Organization to the service of the legitimate government of the Republic”.After the reestablishment of the democracy in Spain in 1977, the club has been losing that political connotation. It standardized its relations with the Spanish crown and in diverse occasions expeditions formed by leaders and sportsmen of the club they have offered its trophies in the Palace of the Zarzuela. The engagement and later marriage of Infant Cristina with the player of handball of the FC Barcelona Iñaki Urdangarín did frequents at the end of the years 1990 and principles of the years the 2000 presence of members of the Spanish Royal Family in the Palau Blaugrana, with King Juan Carlos I including. The last gesture of complicity between the club and the Real House took place the 17 of May of 2006, in the occasion of the end of Liga de Campeones of the UEFA 2005-06, when the Kings went to Paris to show their support the azulgrana set and, concluded the encounter, lowered to the turf to congratulate to the players of the equipment next to the president of the Spanish government Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, declared following of the Barcelonist set, and the president of the Majority of Catalonia Pasqual Maragall.In the religious land, and although the founder of the club, Hans Gamper, and his first leaders were protestant, the club it acquired as of years 1940, after the Spanish Civil War, a noticeably catholic character. The offerings from the club were habitual to the Monastery of Montserrat, and the stage of the Camp Nou even counts on a chapel next to clothes, with a reproduction of the Virgin of Montserrat. In 1982, even, the Pope Juan Pablo II received the partner membership card number 108,000 of the club, in the occasion of a multitudinal mass that celebrated in the Camp Nou.Lately the club has been meant by its shared in common gestures. To principle of years 1980 already it organized a friendly party in UNICEF benefit, in which the Barça faced in the Camp Nou the equipment “Human Stars”, a selection of the best soccer players of the world. In the middle of years 90 the experience returned to repeat itself. Also in that decade the club implied in the fight against the drug, organizing diverse parties in collaboration with the Foundation of Aid against the Drug, whose benefits destined to the “Project Man”.With the arrival of Joan Laporta to the presidency, the club showed its intention to increase its implication in social causes, expressing the desire of which the club is recognized world-wide by their shared in common will. In that sense, at the end of year 2005, the FC Barcelona organized a friendly party in the Camp Nou before a joint selection of Israeli and Palestinian players, who shared equipment for the first time. In the last years the club has signed diverse agreements of collaboration with ONGs, giving economic aids for the development of Third World Countries.As of 2006, the club will donate every year the 0.7 percent of the annual budget of the club to the UNICEF, so that this one destines it to improve the conditions of life of the children worldwide. In addition it has placed the name of the organization in the central space of his first luggage, being the first time that publicita this way.

Presidency

The present president of the FC Barcelona is Joan Laporta, a Catalan lawyer who was reelected in his position the 22 of August of 2006 with no need to go to the ballot boxes since he was the unique one of the four precandidates who fully surpassed the 1,804 companies of partners who are necessary to aspire to the presidency of the club. Laporta initiated thus its second mandate that will finalize in the 2010.The 20 of 2006 July, judge Roberto Garci'a Ash trays dictated a sentence in which she commited the present director to summon elections of immediate way, according to demanded the partner of the organization Joan March Torné, since therefore they gathered the statutes of the club. Joan Laporta interpreted that the elections had to be celebrated in the 2007 when being fulfilled, according to him, the 4 years of mandate. The error of a year of difference came in which the present director initiated her first mandate the 22 of June of 2003, date that supposed to initiate the mandate before taking place the closing of the economic exercise of season 2002-03, reason why the partner plaintiff aimed that the meeting of Laporta had to stop the 30 of June of 2006, since the eight previous days to the closing had to be counted like a year of mandate.The FC Barcelona has had 38 presidents and 4 managing commissions throughout their history. The founder of the club, the Swiss Hans Gamper, was not, paradoxicalally, the first president: he was it English Walter Wild since she was the person of greater age of the eleven that participated in the original assembly of the club. Gamper, nevertheless, was later president until in five stages different from the club. The president longevo of the history of the club was more Josep Lluís Núñez, who showed the position during 22 years, between 1978 and 2000.The presidency of the FC Barcelona is chosen by its partners, by means of elections by universal suffrage, celebrated each four seasons, in which they must right to choose and to being chosen all the partners and greater partners of the club of 18 years, with a year of antiquity like partners of the club.The president chooses to the members of his Board of directors, that are ratified by an assembly of “compromisarios partners”: 300 greater partners of 18 years chosen by drawing and that, during a period of two years, participates in the annual assemblies of partners, with voice and vote, in representation of all the partners of the club.

Hymn

The official hymn of the FC Barcelona, denominated officially Cant of the Barça (in Castilian, Song of the Barça) was created and released in 1974, in the occasion of the acts of the 75 celebration of anniversary of the club. The letter was written by Jaume Picas and Josep Maria Espinàs, and music was composed by Manuel Valls. Completely it is written in Catalan language, and in the official version it is interpreted by the Chorale Sant Jordi.In the last years it has been interpreted by recognized singing like Joan Manuel Serrat, in the occasion of different acts like the commemoration from the centenary of the club. In addition, the director presided over by Joan Laporta has stimulated who varied musical interpreters and sets interpreted it in the stage of the Camp Nou, in the prolegómenos of the soccers match, versionando it and adapting it to the most varied musical styles: pop, rock, rap, samba, rumba, among others.One of the details that characterize to the hymn is the reference to the open and integrating character of the club, that does not differentiate the geographic origin from the followers; as it says one of estrofas, “as much it gives from where we come, if of the south or the north, a flag us sister”.

Shield

The shield of Football Barcelona Club has form of “pot”, within which they are the cross of Sant Jordi, the flag of Catalonia, a ball, the colors and the initials of the club.Two versions exist on the origins of the shield of the club. The first version tells that in 1900, a year after the foundation of the club, there was a meeting to decide the shield (until then, Barcelona had used the shield of the city). It seems to be that there was no agreement on the form and the content of the shield and in a while of the meeting the secretary, Luis d´Ossó, visibly gotten upset, exclaimed “this is a pot”, which gave the idea to Hans Gamper to propose the shield with form of “pot”.The other version affirms that Gamper, of Swiss origin, was based on some shields of equipment of its country to propose the famous “pot”.

Colors

The distinguishing colors of the FC Barcelona are blue and the garnet. Diverse theories exist on the causes that took to the founders of the club to choose these colors.The extended version more indicates that she was the own Hans Gamper, founder of the club, that decided the colors. In fact, it is verified which in the first soccer match that Gamper disputed in the city of Barcelona before the foundation of the club, already it dressed these colors. One has always affirmed that Gamper chose these colors for being those that they identified to the FC Basel, Swiss equipment in which it thinks that Gamper had played before arriving at Barcelona. Also it is speculated on with the possibility that Gamper chose these colors for being those of the shield of the Swiss corner of Tesino, although the only relation of Gamper with that corner was that there her Pink sister resided.Another version indicates that the colors were proposed by Otto Maier, one of the founders of the club, in honor to the colors of the shield of the German population of Heidenheim, its native locality.

Uniform

The first luggage of the equipment, in season 2006-2007 is of t-shirt navy blue and seeds, formed by four vertical strips (two of each color) and trousers navy blue. The averages are blue with borders you seed. Of the combination of the colors blue and it seeds comes the sobrename from “azulgrana” whereupon one knows the players and fans the club. The trousers seed of the last season supposed all a newness in the history of the azulgrana club, since it had never dressed it this color. Historically the trousers had been navy blue and even, in the Twenties, of white color and, later, black. The change of color had to commercial reasons.The second luggage, in season 2006-2007, is made up of t-shirt and trousers color orange, in tribute to the second luggage with which the first Glass of Europe of the club gained. The averages are also oranges. The FC Barcelona has changed the colors of their second luggage in diverse occasions. The second t-shirt has been, throughout history, of white, yellow, blue color sure red, green, gray, navy blue, brown orange, clear (beige or “Chinese color”), and fosforito yellow.

Curiosities

The first football team of the FC Barcelona was one of the few equipment that did not take publicity in the central space of the t-shirt, until the agreement in 2006 with Unicef. This form of sponsorship is unusual in professional soccer, since it does not perceive any type of benefit economic in return (yes an image) to shine logotipo, all the opposite, destines a million and average one of annual euros to projects promoted and organized by Unicef. Yes it receives numerous income to shine the logotipos of Nike in the t-shirt and trousers, and logotipo of TV3 in one of the sleeves of the t-shirt. In season 2003-2004, the first football team, took to the publicity of the Fòrum of cultures, that was celebrated them in 2004 in Barcelona, in a sleeve of the t-shirt. The equipment of basketball, handball and hockey on skids yes shine publicity in the central space of their t-shirts.

Stadium - Camp Nou

The stadium of the FC Barcelona is the Camp Nou, property of the own club. Inaugurated in 1957, it has a capacity of 98,787 spectators, all seated. He is one of the four stages of catalogued Spain as “Stadium Five Stars” by the UEFA, which qualifies it to welcome end of Liga de Campeones, Supercopa of Europe and Copa of the UEFA, since it has happened in 15 occasions. One is in the district of Them Corts of Barcelona, next to other facilities of the club, like the Mini Estadi (stadium of Barcelona B) and the Palau Blaugrana, field of the basketball equipment. In the facilities of the Camp Nou is the Museum of the FC Barcelona, the visited museum more of Catalonia. Prior to the Camp Nou, the FC Barcelona had two stages. Between 1909 and 1922 Industry of Barcelona played in a field of the street, vulgarly called “the Escopidora”. Between 1922 and 1957 it disputed his parties in the Field of Them Corts, inaugurated to welcome in 30,000 spectators, and who got to have a capacity of 60,000 people. One of the versions about the etimología of the word “culés” comes from this stage, because the launching slips allowed to see from outside the enclosure the innkeepers of the fans.

Football

Football, reason for the foundation of the club, continues being the main sport of the FC Barcelona, and the activity that monopolizes more of the 75 percent of the budget of the club.The first football team plays in the First Spanish division; in season 2006/07, the equipment finalized runner-up. In the Maxima European competition, Liga de Campeones of the UEFA has been able to prevail in two occasions, 1992 and 2006.The FC Barcelona shows the record of being the only European football team that has participated in uninterrupted form in the continental competitions from its creation in 1955. Also it is the equipment with more titles in the extinct Recopa of Europe (4 titles), and the one that has more triumphs in the Glass of Spain in its different denominations (24 titles).The club counts on an important quarry of players, from the category of alevines. The branch of the first football team is the Barcelona B, that militates in the Third Spanish division.The FC Barcelona organizes, from 1966, a match of annual friendly soccer, the Trophy Joan Gamper, who disputes itself habitually in the month of August.

Players

More than 1,000 football players they have dressed the t-shirt the first equipment of football Barcelona Club throughout its 107 years of history.The players of foreign origin (although some, nationalized Spanish) have always had a great weight in the history of the club, and have marked the times most shining of the Catalan set. Founded by a group of settled down foreigners on Barcelona, initially the equipment was formed by players of mainly English, Swiss and German origin. Most of historians they consider that the Hungarian Ladislao Kubala was, in 1950, the first great figure of international stature that it militated in the Barcelonist set. But it was as of years 70, when Spanish football regularized the participation of foreign players, when the club began to file to great international figures. The FC Barcelona has counted since then with diverse players who, militating in the azulgrana club, have conquered the most prestigious individual trophies of world-wide football.Four players of the club were awarded with the prize of the World-wide Player of the FIFA that credited them like the best football players of the world (Romário, Ronaldo, Rivaldo and Ronaldinho), and five were awarded with the Gold Ball that credited them like the best players of European football (Luis Suárez, Johan Cruyff, Hristo Stoitchkov, Rivaldo and Ronaldinho). In addition, the FC Barcelona are counted with players possessors of other great international distinctions: Allan Simonsen, Hansi Krankl, Diego Armando Maradona, Gary Lineker, Michael Laudrup, Luis Figo and Samuel Eto'o are some examples.The FC Barcelona has been historically, next to Real Madrid, the club that are counted with the best football players of Spain, and one of the sets that have more contributed to nourish to the Selection of football of Spain. The player of the FC Barcelona that more starting off has played with the selection is the guardameta Andoni Zubizarreta that, with 126 parties, is in addition the Spanish player who has participated in more starting off of the selection. Luis Enrique and Nadal is, with 62 encounter each one, the other two Barcelonist players with more international entorchados.The players who more divided officials have played in the FC Barcelona are Migueli (670), Carles Rexach (665), and Guillermo Love (564). Those that more official titles have won are Guillermo Love (19), Jose Ramon Alexanko (17), Albert Ferrer (17), and Josep Guardiola (16). And the players who more goals have marked are Paulino Alcántara (374), Josep Samitier (319), and Caesar Rodriguez (301).

Trainers

The FC Barcelona has had a total of 49 trainers of soccer throughout their history. The first trainer who had the club was the English John Barrow, who directed to the equipment 19 parties in 1917. Until 1917 the club did not have trainer. Was practical habitual in football teams that, until half-full years 10, the group was made by the president and the board of directors, who decided the discharges, the losses and, in most of the cases, the alignments of the parties. Training, that then was few because soccer was not professional, used to self-manage them the own players.Like John Barrow, most of trainers whom it has had the FC Barcelona has been foreign. Of the 49 trainers of the club, only 22 have been Spanish (14 of Catalan them). In most of the cases, the Spanish trainers have been ex--players of the club who acceded to the position after the cease of the titular trainer. Two cases of Spanish trainers have only occurred that they had not previously dressed the t-shirt the club like player: Luis Aragonés and Lorenzo Serra Ferrer.The main nationalities of the nonSpanish trainers have been the English (8 technicians), neerlandesa (4), Hungarian Argentinean (3) and (3). The club also has had two trainers German, a French, a Croatian, a Serb, an Irish, a Czech and an Italian. There have only been four nonEuropean trainers in the history of the club: three Argentineans (Helenio Herrera, Roque Olsen and Caesar Luis Menotti), and a Uruguayan (Enrique Fernandez).The technician longevo was more Johan Cruyff, who stayed eight years consecutive in the position, between 1988 and 1996. Cruyff is, in addition, the trainer who have directed to the equipment in more starting off (602), and the one that more titles has obtained. The second technician longevo was more the English Jack Greenwell, who directed to the equipment in 492 parties, two different periods, between 1917 and 1924, and between 1931 and 1933. The third trainer in number of directed parties is neerlandés Rinus Michels, that directed to the equipment in 361 in two stages: between 1971 and 1975, and 1976 and 1978.

Torneos regionales (27)

Copa Cataluña (27) 1902, 1905, 1909, 1910, 1911, 1913, 1916, 1920, 1921, 1922, 1924, 1925, 1926, 1927, 1928, 1930, 1931, 1932, 1935, 1936, 1938, 1991, 1993, 2000, 2004, 2005, 2007

Torneos nacionales (49)

Liga española de fútbol (18) 1928-1929, 1944-1945, 1947-1948, 1948-1949, 1951-1952, 1952-1953, 1958-1959, 1959-1960, 1973-1974, 1984-1985, 1990-1991, 1991-1992, 1992-1993, 1993-1994, 1997-1998, 1998-1999, 2004-2005, 2005-2006.

Copa del Rey de Fútbol (24): 1910, 1912, 1913, 1920, 1922, 1925, 1926, 1928, 1942, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1957, 1959, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1978, 1981, 1983, 1988, 1990, 1997, 1998. Supercopa de España (7): 1983, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1996, 2005, 2006.

Otros torneos nacionales (7)

Copa Eva Duarte (3): 1949, 1952, 1953.

Copa de la Liga (2): 1982, 1986.

Copa de Oro Argentina (1): 1945.

Liga Mediterránea (1): 1937.

Torneos internacionales (8)

Liga de Campeones de la UEFA (2): 1992, 2006.

Recopa de Europa (4): 1979, 1982, 1989, 1997.

Supercopa de Europa (2): 1992, 1997.

Otros torneos internacionales(13)

Copa Latina (2): 1949, 1952.

Copa de Ferias (1): 1971.

Pequeña Copa del Mundo de Clubes (1): 1957.

Copa Martini Rossi (2): 1952, 1953.

Copa de los Pirineos (4): 1910, 1911, 1912, 1913.

Torneos amistosos

Trofeo Joan Gamper (31): 1966; 1967; 1968; 1969; 1971; 1973; 1974; 1975; 1976; 1977; 1979; 1980; 1983; 1984; 1985; 1986; 1988; 1990; 1991; 1992; 1995; 1996; 1997; 1998; 1999; 2000; 2001; 2002; 2003; 2004 and 2006.

Trofeo Ramón de Carranza (3): 1962; 1963; 2005.

Trofeo Costa del Sol (1): 1977.

Trofeo Ciutat de Barcelona (1): 1989.

Trofeo Teresa Herrera (5): 1948; 1951; 1972; 1990 and 1993

Other data of interest

Seasons in 1ª: 77 (all) Better position in the league: 1st18 times)

Worse position in the league: 12ndseason 41/42)

Historical position: 2nd

Greater made goals to favor: Temp. 1949-1950 FC Barcelona 10 - Gimnàstic de Tarragona 1

Greater made goals against: Temp. 1930-1931. Athletic of Bilbao 12 - FC Barcelona 1

Player with more disputed starting off: Migueli (670)

Player with more goals: Alcántara (357)

Player with more titles: Love: 19

Made goals doorman less: Antoni Ramallets

Filial equipment: Barcelona B

Sport sections

Football Club Barcelona is a polideportivo club that, in addition to football teams, counts more on equipment in twelve sport disciplines. These disciplines are structured like “sport sections” within the club. The FC Barcelona distinguishes, from a structural point of view, between the professional masculine sections, masculine the nonprofessional ones, and the feminine sections.

Professional masculine sections

The professional sections are three, those of basketball, handball and hockey on skids. They are the three professionalized and prestigious sections more, and that participate in the competitions of greater category of their respective disciplines in Spain. In addition, the masculine equipment of these three sections comprises of the elite of the best clubs of Europe, by the amount of titles of continental character that have obtained. Between these three sections the FC Barcelona adds 24 Glasses of Europe. The equipment of these three sections has their seat and disputes their encounter in the Palau Blaugrana, annexed polideportivo pavilion to the Camp Nou with capacity for 8,500 spectators.The FC Barcelona of basketball (Section created in 1926) is the second club of Spain in basketball in number of obtained titles, and one of those of greater prestige of Europe. The basketball section lived its better years in the decades on the 80 and 90, in which it obtained diverse Spanish and European titles. Its appraised title more, nevertheless, the Euroliga (or Glass of Europe), did not obtain it until season 2002-2003, when it gained the celebrated final phase in the own city of Barcelona. The present technical director of the basketball section is Zoran Savic, and the trainer of the equipment is Dusko Ivanovic.The handball section was founded on 1942, and is the one that more titles it has given to the club. The equipment of handball of the Barça is the set that accumulates more titles of Spain and Europe, with 7 Glasses of Europe. In 2005 his returned to crown itself like the best European equipment when conquering seventh Glass of Europe. The present technical director of the handball section is Xesco Espar.The section of hockey on Skids of the FC Barcelona also was created in 1942, and is considered the best club of the world of hockey on skids, is honored of Europe and first in the world-wide ranking. Accumulating 17 Glasses of Europe, competition of which is the present champion. The present technical director of the hockey section is Quim Paüls.

Nonprofessional masculine sections

In addition to the professional masculine sections, the club counts on sections amateurs in other nine sport disciplines: athletics, skating, soccer room, ice hockey, baseball, volleyball, rugby and cycling. The director of the nonprofessional sections of the club is the Argentine ex--player of hockey on skids Gaby Cairo.The section of athletics of the club has the honor of being, after the one of soccer, the first section created in the history of the club. It was formed officially in 1915, although the chronicles tell that in the club already athletics practiced from year 1900. The masculine equipment of athletics of the FC Barcelona has been always considered one of the best ones of Spain as they testify the numerous obtained titles, as much in national competitions as international. In his palmarés emphasizes more than 30 championships of Spain by clubs in different modalities. The equipment has historically counted with some of the best athletes of Spain, like the Olympic medallistas Jose Manuel Abascal and Javier Garci'a-Boy, and champions of Spain like Red Gregorio, Antonio Corgos, Javier Moracho or Joined Colomán.The section rugby of the FC Barcelona is one of oldest of the club: it was created in 1924. It has his playground in the “Ciutat Esportiva of the F.C. Barcelona”. The senior equipment To will compete next season 2006/2007 in the Spanish Division of Honor, after the arrival to an agreement and fusion with the USAP Barcelona, occupying the seat that this equipment had in the Maxima category of rugby Spanish, thus returning, after many years to the category. One is one of the clubs more honored of Spain thanks to the titles conquered between years 1940 and 1960. Between the titles gained by the section of rugby they emphasize 15 championships of Spain, 2 Ligas Spanish and 1 Supercopa of Spain.In 1941 the club created a baseball section that, in spite of to be one of less the most known the club, has never let exist. The section counts on masculine equipment in all the categories, from alevines to séniors, that have their land of game in the Stage Perez de Rozas, located in the mountain of Montjuic of Barcelona. The senior equipment competes in the Maxima category of the Spanish baseball, the Division of Honor.

Other nonprofessional sections of the club are:

Basketball in Wheelchair: FC Barcelona-Institut Guttman.

Cycling: Created in 1928. Recovered in 2004.

Soccer Room: Created in 1978. The first equipment competes in the Division of Honor. Pavilion of game: Palau Blaugrana.

Ice hockey: Created in 1972. Pavilion of game: Palau de Gel.

Hockey grass: Created in season 1923-1924. The first equipment competes in the Division of Honor A. Figure skating on ice. Created the 25 of January of 1972.

Feminine sections

The FC Barcelona has been harnessing in the last years their feminine sections, given the participation flood of the women in the sport, and the profesionalización of the competitive structures. The more important feminine sections of the club are those of soccer, basketball, athletics and figure skating, disciplines in which count on equipment that participates in the maximum Spanish competitions. Until 2007 tapeworm also section of feminine basketballThe feminine football team competes in Feminine Superliga, the Maxima category of Spanish feminine soccer. The section enjoyed an ephemeral popularity season 2004/05, as a result of the draftee of the Mexican Maribel Domínguez [3]. The only title of the feminine equipment is the Glass of Reina de Fútbol conquered in 1994.The equipment of feminine basketball was denominated UB-Barça, since it was the result of the association between the FC Barcelona and the equipment of basketball of the University of Barcelona. Competia in Spanish Liga of feminine basketball, that it conquered in two occasions.The equipment of feminine athletics of the FC Barcelona competes in the Division of Honor, the Maxima category of Spanish athletics. The main athletes of the equipment at the present time are the international Spaniards Montse But, specialist in 800 meters smooth, and Rosa Morató, campeona of Europe of cros in 2005. To the equipment the 2006 marchista belonged until the year Maria Vasco, bronze medal in the Olympic Games of Sydney 2000.The feminine equipment of figure skating was founded, like the masculine one, the 25 of January of 1972, agreeing with the inauguration of the Palau de Gel, the ice track of the club, annexed to the Palau Blaugrana, and that is host of the equipment. The equipment has given numerous successes to the club, between which they emphasize 10 titles of the Championship of Spain of clubs. One of the maximum figures of the section was Marta Andrade, considered the greater figure of the history of the Spanish figure skating, and that was finalist in the Olympic Games of Winter of Lillehammer and Nagano.

Missing sections

In addition to all the mentioned sections, Soccer Barcelona Club has had equipment in up to eight sport disciplines more throughout its history. They are sections that, by one or another reason, dissolved. Between 1924 and 1928 the club had an equipment of greco-Roman fight whose figure was the Olympic champion Emili Ardèvol. Another one of the great Spanish sportsmen who belonged to the discipline of the club was Joaquin Blume, member of the gymnastics section that the club had between 1957 and 1976.The Barça also had tennis sections (1926-1936), swimming (1942), figure skating on cement (1952-1956) and judo (1961-1976).The last ones of the sections in disappearing have been the one of american football, that comprised of the club between the years 2001 and 2003, after the integration of Barcelona Dragons, equipment that competed in the European division of NFL (National Football League), and the one of cycling that, after reappearing in 2004, has returned to be extinguished at the end of 2006 before the lack in agreement in the form to direct this sport by the diverse international federations.