• FC Barcelona has over 100 years of history.

• It is owned by his fans, called socios, and therefore the president of the club and the board members are elected by the socios. This model in the US professional sport is only followed by the Green Bay Packers.

• In Spanish top-flight soccer 4 teams are fan-owned: FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, Osasuna and Athletic Bilbao.

History of FC Barcelona

The Club

• In 2014 FCB had 153,458 socios worldwide: 74% men and 26% women.

• 140,000 socios live in Catalonia and 13,000 in the rest of the world.

• Apart from socios, club owners, there are many other FC Barcelona fans that form penyas. Penyas are not-for-profit associations of people who gather to watch FCB games, travel together to away games, etc.

• In 2014 there were 1,267 penyas, 88 of them out of Spain.

History of FC Barcelona

The Club

• FC Barcelona plays in the Camp Nou stadium since 1957.

• Camp Nou is the second biggest soccer stadium in the world and the biggest in Europe.

• There is a project to renew the stadium and enlarge its capacity to 105,000 seats, all under the roof.

History of FC Barcelona

The Club

Ten Largest Soccer Stadiums in the World

The 10 most valuable sport teams in the world 2014

• FC Barcelona is not only a soccer club. It also has sections of basketball, handball, roller hockey and futsal, as well as some amateur sports sections.

• In roller hockey and handball FCB is the most acknowledged team in Europe. In basketball is in the historic top ten.

European Cup championships in handball

History of FC Barcelona

The Club

History of FC Barcelona

1.The foundation

of the club

• FC Barcelona was founded in 1899 by Hans Gamper, who placed an ad in Los Deportes magazine trying to recruit football players.

• He was Swiss but fell in love with Barcelona and stayed. He changed his name for Joan Gamper and felt strongly identified with Catalan culture.

Gamper’s funeral in Barcelona in 1930

1922. Les Corts Stadium

History of FC Barcelona

2.The Civil War (1936-1939)

• During the Spanish Civil War the president of FC Barcelona, Josep Sunyol i Garriga, supporter of the Republican band, ended up in the Nationalist side by mistake. He was assassinated in Madrid in August 1936.

• Sunyol was in a car with the Catalan flag and when approaching a checkpoint he yelled: ¡Viva la República!

Stone commemorating the death of Sunyol

History of FC Barcelona

3.Francoist Spain

• Franco defeated the Republican Army and imposed an authoritarian state for 40 years.

• During Francoism Barça was “Castilianized”. Names were changed and the club was stripped of its Catalan identity.

• In 1943 Real Madrid inflicted a 11-1 beating over FCB

• There are different versions of the story: some say Spanish

police threatened FCB players if they refused to

concede the victory.

History of FC Barcelona

3.Francoist Spain

History of FC Barcelona

4.The arrival of

Kubala

• László Kubala has been the most prominent player of FCB in the XX Century.

• He joined Barcelona in 1951. His impact made FCB build a new stadium to accommodate all the fans willing to see him play.

• Along with Basora, César, Ramallets, Moreno and Manchón, they formed the most mythical FCB team ever.

1957. Camp Nou opening

History of FC Barcelona

4.The arrival of

Kubala

Kubala’s story is worth of a drama film:

Kubala reached Western Europe escaping from Communist Hungary.

He went to Italy. His son got ill and Kubala missed a match against Benfica. In the flight home the plane crashed and all Kubala’s teammates died.

In 1950 he signed with FCB with Franco’s help, who was eager to promote the transfer as anti-Communist propaganda.

“we don’t need footballers forged under Communism”

“FCB is an association of chancers and undesirables who have come from faraway lands to eat our bread”

Marca (1953)

History of FC Barcelona

4.The arrival of

Kubala

Kubala’s story is worth of a drama film:

FIFA sanctioned FCB for the illegal transfer and Kubala had to wait an entire year to play.

In 1952 Kubala suffered tuberculosis. He retired to the mountains and FCB thought this was a career-ending disease.

FCB tried to sign the Argentinian Di Stéfano to replace him.

History of FC Barcelona

5.The fatalism(1961-1974)

• For many years FCB regretted their bad luck.

• Referees were perceived to be conspiring against them.

• 1970, the Guruceta incident

June 1970, Camp Nou stadium

In 1961 FC Barcelona lost his first European Cup final against Benfica (3-2)

History of FC Barcelona

6.Johan Cruyff(1973-1978)

• Johan Cruyff is considered to be one of the 4 or 5 all-time best soccer players.

• He came to FCB after an offer from Real Madrid. Transfer fee record ($2M).

• In 1972 FCB had 58,000 socios. In 1973 64,130.

“Back then football was ‘right, out we go, come on lads, in hard’. And that was it. No one studied the opponents, it was: fight, jump and run. Then it was: no, let’s play better football. There was a method, an idea. We brought that to the game and other couldn’t handle”

Charlie Rexach

History of FC Barcelona

6.Johan Cruyff(1973-1978)

• In 1974 FC Barcelona defeated Real Madrid 0-5. This result has gained huge symbolic significance over the decades.

Match Year

RM 5 – FCB 0 1953-54

RM 0 – FCB 5 1973-74

FCB 5 – RM 0 1993-94

RM 5 – FCB 0 1994-95

FCB 5 – RM 0 2011-12

In 1986 FC Barcelona lost his second European Cup final against Steaua Bucharest (0-0 and penalty shootout)