FC Barcelona – an ace team
From its very beginnings in 1899, FC Barcelona has always been seen as ‘més que un club’ – more than a club. Originally founded by young foreigners living in and around Barcelona as a vehicle for playing soccer and other ‘British’ sports, the club rapidly reached out to, and was embraced by, the people of Barcelona, and became a symbol of the fiercely independent people of surrounding Catalonia, reflecting their culture, aspirations and democratic beliefs.
The Barcelona fans see the team as ‘more than a club’ because they are eligible to become the members who elect the Board of Management who run the club; this gives the supporters a sense of ownership rather than just support for the club, a situation which is the exception rather than the rule among major sports clubs throughout the world. The club has never allowed shirt sponsorship but since 2006 the UNICEF logo has been worn, and uniquely the club donates €1.5 million to UNICEF.
After a successful beginning, the fortunes of Barcelona began to mirror the destiny of Catalonia itself and the dark days before, during and after the Spanish Civil War saw little success for the team on the field, but the stance taken against fascism during this time would shape the future ethos of the club.
Barcelona enjoyed sporadic success both at home and in Europe throughout the 1950s and 60s, particularly under the managership of the Italian Helenio Herrera. Just as the Franco years had seen a decline in the club’s fortunes, so the end of his dictatorship in 1974 saw the dawn of a new era for FC Barcelona. Johan Cruyff was signed from Dutch club Ajax during the 1973/4 season and that year Barcelona won their first La Liga title since 1960, with a resounding 5-0 defeat against arch rivals Real Madrid at the Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid one of the highlights of the campaign. The fierce rivalry between the teams from Madrid and Barcelona, like many issues in Spain, dates back to events surrounding the Spanish Civil War, and matches between the two, nicknamed El Clasico (The Classic), are more than just football matches!
In the late 70s and 80s internationally acclaimed players such as Diego Maradona, Romario, Lineker and Ronaldo graced the Nou Camp Stadium with their bewildering skills. In 1988, Johan Cruyff returned as manager and began to assemble his Dream Team with players such as Romario, Josep Guardiola, Ronald Koeman, Hristo Stoichkov and Michael Laudrup. Over the next nine years Cruyff would lift 11 trophies including four consecutive La Liga titles, a European Cup Winners cup and the 1992 European Cup, beating Italian side Sampdoria in the Wembley final.
The modern Barcelona team is every bit as successful and Lionel Messi, in particular, is an inspiration to players and fans throughout the world. One of Cruyff’s Dream Team, Josep Guardiola, has taken on Cruyff’s mantle as most successful manager with multiple wins in La Liga, Champions League and UEFA Super Cup.
Success on the pitch is taken for granted, but this highly successful organization is also quoted as the second highest revenue earner in the world. In gambling terms, FC Barcelona is not a team to bet against, but for much better odds those who fancy a flutter should make their way to Partycasinobonuscodes.com