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Barcelona Soccer Barcelona's Soccer team (Futbol Club Barcelona/FC Barcelona) is one of the largest & most representative teams in Spanish football. Over the years it has been a symbol of unity for its host city Barcelona & its province of Catalonia. Through its sporting achievements it has amassed a huge fan base both nationally & internationally. With this success the club has built up one of the world most acclaimed teams, backed up by an impressive array of sports training & fan orientated facilities. Its reputation is built firmly on results, with the club winning 16 Spanish league titles, & the Spanish Copa del Rei 24 times. Its European achievements have also won it a truly international audience, having won the UEFA Cup 4 times (though then known as the Industrial Inter-Cities Fairs Cup), the Cup Winners Cup 4 times, & finally the coveted European Cup at Wembley Stadium. It is also the only club to have competed in every European Championship since the contest began in 1955. In short the clubs trophy list contains every trophy possible. Please note that figures given are for up to the year 2005. Brief History The club was founded in 1899 by Hans Gamper, a swiss business man who settled in Barcelona. He had an interest in football (then relatively unknown in Spain) & put out an advert in a local newspaper for willing participants in a team. The men that attended formed the first Barcelona Soccer team, winning their first trophy (the Copa Macaya) just two years later. In 1909 it secured its first base, the 6,000 seat stadium Carrer Industria. Buliding on ongoing successes & increasing gate receipts the club moved to a new home in 1922, the Les Corts stadium; seating 30,000 initially though later expanded to an impressive 60,000. This ushered in a golden age for the club with it dominating both local & national cups, before finally winning the Spanish league in 1929. Spanish civil war & the ensuing dictatorship was to severly effect the club; as it quickly became a symbol of Catalan unity against the oppressive regime headed by Franco; leader of the Facist party in Spain. During this time the club's president was assasinated by Franco's soldiers & it's headquarters bombed. These events & others brought financial hardship almost resulting in its closure, & this related directly to its on pitch performance. The political climate of these times in fact brought about the teams rivalry with Real Madrid (located in the nations capital & seat of government), which still exists today. At around 1950 Barcelona Soccer entered a period of better fortune, with the club winning many competetions including the national league. So much so that its base was once again moved, though this time to its present home the Camp Nou stadium. One of the biggest football stadiums in the world Camp Nou offered 90,000 seats & remains a great symbol of Spanish football. Other Sporting Interests Aside from FC Barcelona's world class football team, over the years it has also become involved in other sporting areas. Under the clubs banner are a women's football team, five a side football team, rugby team, proffesional roller hockey team, an ice hockey team, field hockey team, cycling team, male & female basketball teams, a handball team, volleyball team, figure skating team, & an athletics squad. FC Barcelona Facilities A great club needs professional training facilities to back it up, & this is especially the case with Barcelona due to its varied sporting interests. Aside from the impressive Camp Nou stadium the club has recently invested in a state of the art training camp in the Sant Joan Despi part of the city, called La Ciutat Esportiva. Covering an area over 130,000 square metres it offers various football training pitches for professional, reserve, & youth teams, supplementary training areas & facilities, & accommodation. Also on site are indoor basketball, handball, & rolley hockey halls, 3 outdoor courts, an eight lane running track, an indoor athletics track, & related athletics facilities. The La Masia football academy is the start of many young players careers. It is set in a listed building next to the Camp Nou stadium & can house up to 60 pupils. The Miniestadi (mini stadium) was inaugurated in 1982. It is used to host FC Barcelona's B & C team football matches. It boasts 15,000 seats split over two tiers. This stadium is also the customary site for the clubs presidential elections. The Palau Blaugrana opened in 1971 & hosts the clubs basketball, indoor football, roller hockey, & handball matches. It can hold over 8,000 spectators & played an important role in the 2002 Barcelona Olympics. Finally the Pista de Gel ice skating rink belonging to the club plays host to the ice hockey & figure skating events. Home to various facilities it is also open to the public for ice skating every day of the week. For information on Barcelona Football Club & its facilities see our FC Barcelona page. For summarised information on Barcelona Football Club see our F.C Barcelona page. For extended information on Barcelona Football Club see our Barcelona Soccer page. For information on Barcelona's Camp Nou stadium see our Camp Nou page.
Barcelona Tourist Office Tel +34 932 853 834 (Mon-Fri 9am-8pm & Sat 9am-2pm)
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Barcelona Soccer, Barcelona Soccer Team, Catalonia, Spain
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Barcelona Soccer, Barcelona Soccer Team, Catalonia, Spain. Attractions, Sights, and Places to Visit in Catalonia, Spain. Hotels, Holidays, Car Hire, Property, and Tourist Information. General information on Barcelona, Spain. |