FC Barcelona
Més que un club
Futbol Club Barcelona (), commonly known as FC Barcelona and colloquially as Barça (), is a professional football club based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, that competes in La Liga, the top division of Spanish football. Founded in 1899 by a group of Swiss, Catalan, German, and English footballers led by Joan Gamper, the club has become a symbol of Catalan culture and Catalanism, hence the motto Més que un club ("More than a club"). Unlike many other football clubs, the supporters own and operate Barcelona. It is the third-most valuable football club in the world, worth $5.6 billion, and the world's fourth richest football club in terms of revenue, with an annual turnover of €800.1 million. The official Barcelona anthem is the "Cant del Barça", written by and Josep Maria Espinàs. Barcelona traditionally play in dark shades of blue and garnet stripes, hence nicknamed Blaugrana.
- character
- Historic National Rival
- Affiliation
- La Liga (Spanish First Division)
- Status
- Active historical rivalry
Verified Timeline
Lore & Background
Barcelona are one of the world's most decorated clubs. Domestically, Barcelona has won a record 82 trophies: 29 La Liga, 32 Copa del Rey, 2 Copa de la Liga, 16 Supercopa de España and 3 Copa Eva Duarte titles, as well as being the record holder for the latter four competitions. In international club football, Barça has won 22 European and worldwide titles: five UEFA Champions League titles, a record four UEFA Cup Winners' Cups, a record three Inter-Cities Fairs Cups, five UEFA Super Cups, a joint record two Latin Cups and three FIFA Club World Cups. Barcelona was ranked first in the International Federation of Football History & Statistics Club World Ranking for 1997, 2009, 2011, 2012 and 2015, and occupies the ninth position on the UEFA club rankings. The club has a long-standing rivalry with Real Madrid, and matches between the two teams are referred to as El Clásico.
In Their Own Story
The 1996–97 season began with Johan Cruyff's dismissal in May 1996, but his influence lingered in the transfer targets he had identified. Though bids for Zinedine Zidane, David Ginola, Ryan Giggs, Aron Winter, and José Francisco Molina fell through, the club secured Laurent Blanc, Juan Antonio Pizzi, and Luis Enrique. The team won the Copa del Rey and the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, yet finished second in La Liga, three years without the league title. At season's end, Bobby Robson was replaced by Louis Van Gaal, and top scorer Ronaldo—with 47 goals—departed for Inter Milan.
Reader's Guide
The 1996–97 season was FC Barcelona's 98th season in existence and 68th consecutive season in the top flight of Spanish football, La Liga. Before being dismissed by the club as head coach in May 1996, Johan Cruyff had led the team to multiple trophies. The source does not provide details on player transfers for that season.
Did You Know?
- Barcelona is one of three founding members of the Primera División that have never been relegated from the top division since its inception in 1929, along with Athletic Bilbao and Real Madrid.
- In 2009, Barcelona became the first Spanish club to win the continental treble consisting of La Liga, Copa del Rey, and UEFA Champions League titles, and also became the first European football club to win six competitio
- Barcelona players have won a joint record twelve Ballon d'Or awards, with recipients including Johan Cruyff, as well as a record six FIFA World Player of the Year awards, with winners including Romário, Ronaldo, Rivaldo,
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