Brief History of FC Barcelona

Everything started on November 29, 1899 when Hans Gamper founded Futbol Club Barcelona, along with eleven more “foot-ball” enthusiasts, a game that was still pretty unknown in this part of the world.

FC Barça has become, for millions of people all around the world, more than a symbol of their identity, and not just in a matter of sports, but also in terms of social environment, politics and culture.When the times were most difficult Barca was the bond that kept Catalonia together and stimulated Catalan people’s desire for freedom , a symbolism that has continued to be closely
related to the ideology of the club and its members to our days.Within the understandings of Spanish people, Barça is seen as an open and democratic club. And all around the world, Barça is linked with charity causes, and most especially children through its sponsorship agreement with Unicef.

In its more than 100 years of history, FC Barcelona has passed through moments of both pain and glory, periods of brilliance and other less successful ones. Our club has suffered humbling defeats but what we remember are the endless epic victories. All these different moments have helped Barca to be defined as a Club, considered unique in the world.

With over a century of history, there naturally have been countless periods in the development of the Club, both in sporting and social sense. In the early years ( between 1899 and 1922) , FC Barcelona was a club that distinguished itself from every single other football club in Catalonia and therefore was related to the name of the city itself. This is the period when Les Corts stadium was build and Barca became the leading club in Catalonia.

1922-1957 From Les Corts to the legendary Camp Nou, the club went through different periods. Its official fan club reached 10 000 for the first time, while football slowly developed into a worldwide phenomenon and turned absolutely professional. Those were the years of such legendary players as Alcantara and Samitier. Due to material problems and political difficulties of the Spanish Civil War and post-war period, Barca had to overcome several unhappy circumstances, including the assassination of the president Josep Sunyol in 1936. He was the person who promoted the slogan ‘sport and citizenship’. The club survived, and a period of sporting and social recovery appeared in front of the doors of Camp Nou. At this time a truly influential person arrived in Barcelona and his name was Ladislau Kubala.

1957-1974 From the construction of the Camp Nou stadium to the celebration of the 75th anniversary , Barça suffered mediocre results but was consolidated as an entity, with a constantly increasing membership and the slow but steady recovery, in the face of adversity, of its identity. A very clear sensation that was manifested for the first time ever in the words ‘Barça, more than a club’ proclaimed by president Narcís de Carreras. The board presided by Agustí Montal brought a player to Barcelona who would change the history of the club, Johan Cruyff.

1974-1992 From the 75th anniversary to the first European Cup the club saw the conversion of
football clubs to democracy, the start of Josep Lluís Núñez’s long presidency, the extension of the Camp Nou on occasion of the 1982 World Cup and the Cup Winners Cup triumph in Basle (1979), a major success not just in a sporting sense but also in a social one, with an enormous and exemplary expedition of Barça supporters demonstrating to Europe the unity of the Barcelona and Catalan flags. Cruyff returned, this time as coach, and created what would come to be known as the 'Dream Team' (1990-1994), whose crowning glory was the conquest of the European Cup at Wembley (1992), thanks to Koeman’s famous goal.

1992-2006 From Wembley to Paris was when the club’s most recent developments occurred in between its two greatest achievements, becoming champions of Europe. Josep Lluís Núñez’s long presidency came to and end, and the club displayed its finest potential during the celebrations of the club Centenary. Following on from Joan Gaspart (2000-2003), the June 2003 election brought Joan Laporta into office, and the start of new social expansion, reaching 150,000 members, and more successes on the pitch, including two league titles and the Champions League won in Paris.

The grandeur of Futbol Club Barcelona is explained, among many other factors, by its impressive honours list. Very few clubs anywhere in the world have won so many titles. The Intercontinental Cup is the only major football trophy that has never made its way into the club museum, where the club's greatest pride and joy remain the two European Cups won at Wembley (1992) and in Paris (2006).

These were Barça's finest hours on the continental stage, but the Club also has the honour of being the only one to have appeared in every single edition of European club competition since the tournaments were first created back in 1955. Barcelona's many achievements in Europe include being considered 'King of the Cup Winners Cup', having won that title a record four times.

In addition, FC Barcelona also won three Fairs Cups (the tournament now known as the UEFA Cup) in 1958, 1960 and 1966. In 1971, Barça won that trophy outright in a match played between themselves, as the first ever winners of the competition, and Leeds United, as the last. But Barça not only rules in Europe, but also in Spanish competitions, specifically in the national cup, the Copa del Rey, which they have won 24 times, more than any other club.

The Spanish League has traditionally been one of the competitions Barcelona has found the hardest to win, but especially thanks to some wonderful seasons in the 1990s, a decade when six championships were won, and two more championships in the last two years, Fútbol Club Barcelona has now won 18 Spanish League titles.