Club profile

FC Barcelona, founded in 1899 by a group of young foreigners living in Barcelona, was the result of the increasing popularity of football, and other British sports, across Europe. These origins have conferred upon the Club its intercultural identity, multi-sport focus and its deeply-rooted allegiance to Barcelona and Catalonia. Joan Gamper, the Club’s founder, was the inspiration and driving force behind the Club’s first 25 years. His commitment to FC Barcelona went far beyond his role as player, director and president. Its stadium (Camp Nou) was built in 1957. The uniform has blue and red stripes. FCB have won 20 Spanish Leagues, 3 UCL and 1 FIFA Club World Cup. Popularly known as "Barça". Its fans (culers) are spread worldwide. Some of the best players of all times have played for Barça: Zamora, Samitier, Ramallets, Suárez, César, Kubala, Migueli, Schuster, Maradona, Cruyff, Rexach, Guardiola, Ronaldo, Romário, Stoichkov, Laudrup, Rivaldo, Ronaldinho, Messi, Xavi, Iniesta, Puyol and many more. Love for Catalunya, Barcelona's country, love for football well played and nice to be watched, fair play, good care of teaching yongsters not only to play football, but also in their education and human side, are the main features by what this club is admired all over the world and his fans are spread worldwide. The foundation of the Club coincided with a time when people were becoming interested in playing sport in Catalonia; this social context and Catalonia’s idiosyncratic culture led to the creation of a new model of modern leisure.

1899 - 1909
1988-1996 The 'Dream Team'

Barça’s First European Cup

From 1988 on, with Cruyff as manager, Barça came to be associated once more with excellent football and sporting success. The board of directors presided over by Nuñez focused on building up a team of footballers that would spark enthusiasm and perform well. The Camp Nou began to fill up once again.

FC Barcelona managed to secure four consecutive Spanish League championships, between 1990 and 1994. Winning the European Cup in 1992 was the pinnacle of this period, which was characterised by the team’s one touch play and attacking style and the winning mentality of Cruyff’s players.

Known as the 'Dream Team' of European football, the following unforgettable players went down in the Club’s history: Zubizarreta, Bakero, Begiristain, Laudrup, Koeman, Stoichkov, Romário, Eusebio, Nadal, Guardiola, Amor, Juan Carlos, Ferrer, Nando, Julio Salinas, Serna, Alexanko and Goikoetxea.

Led by the Cruyff-Rexach duo, the team finally drew a line under its troubled past; Barça became one of the biggest names in world football.

1899. The Club’s Foundation

Hans Gamper (Winterthur, Switzerland, 1877 – Barcelona, 1930) came to Barcelona in 1898 for professional reasons

During his free time, he played football with a group of friends in Bonanova.

In October 1899, Gamper placed an advert in the Los Deportes magazine to find players interested in forming a football team.

On 29 November, Gamper and eleven other men (Otto Kunzle from Switzerland; Walter Wild, John and William Parsons from England; Otto Maier from Germany; and Lluís d’Ossó, Bartomeu Terradas, Enric Ducal, Pere Cabot, Carles Pujol and Josep Llobet from Catalonia) came together to form an association that paid tribute to the city’s name and coat of arms: Futbol Club Barcelona.

Gamper was a sports lover – a former athlete, cyclist, football and rugby player – who saw sport as a means of exalting the human spirit

Gamper aimed to create an organisation that was open to everyone, regardless of their origin. He envisaged a club that served as a means of social integration, in which everyone could speak their mind, and he created a democratic society that was freely governed by its members. As a sign of his gratitude to Catalonia, the country that had welcomed him, Gamper imbued FC Barcelona with the essence that has come to define it ever since: its commitment to Catalan identity.

Catalan identity, democracy, multiple sports and universality: today, Gamper’s original values continue to give Barça meaning.

At first, the Club shared Barcelona’s coat of arms, as a demonstration of its identification with the city and a desire to be recognised as one and the same

The FC Barcelona stamp at that time featured this coat of arms.

In 1910, the board decided that the Club needed its own coat of arms and organised a competition to find a new design.

The FC Barcelona shirts have always been blue and claret

At the beginning, half the shirt was blue and the other claret, the sleeves were opposite colours and the shorts were white. One of the many theories explaining the origin of the kit colours — blue and claret — is that Gamper used the same colours as the Basel team, where he had played before coming to Catalonia.

During a period of less than ten years, from 1899 to 1908, FC Barcelona used four different locations for its grounds

Their difficulty in finding permanent grounds was due to economic instability and the lack of large open-air spaces at a time when the city was undergoing urban expansion.

1899-1900 The former cycle track grounds at Bonanova (today, Turó Park) 1900-1901 The Hotel Casanovas grounds (today, Hospital de Sant Pau) 1901-1905 Carretera d’Horta grounds 1905-1909 Carrer de Muntaner grounds

In 1902, FC Barcelona won the first official title in its history

The Copa Macaya was the precursor to the Catalan Football Championship. It was begun in 1900 by Alfons Macaya, president of Hispania AC, when he announced his intention to organise a competition between Catalan teams.

The cup is an outstanding work of modernist art.

1909 - 1919
In November 1908, the Club was struggling, with 38 of its members about to abandon it. Gamper was determined to keep the Club afloat and for the first time he became president of the organisation.

This marked a new stage in the Club's history, which consolidated it within the football panorama and social milieu of the city and country. A number of different circumstances played a part in this process, including its strengthening as an organisation via the steady growth of its members; the re-writing of the Club statutes, and the acquisition of the Club's own football grounds for the first time. At the same time, a range of sporting successes and growing recognition accorded to players saw football develop into a mass phenomenon, turning it into a professional sport.

The Club grew rapidly. The number of members increased from 201 in 1909 to 2,973 in less than ten years.

During these years, Barça laid down solid foundations in order to define the type of football club it wanted to be. This took it beyond the original dream of the group of friends that had founded it in 1899; the Club was here to stay.

The football grounds on Carrer de la Indústria (today, Carrer de París) were inaugurated on 14 March 1909, and owned by the club until 1922

A two-tier stand was erected, the first of its kind in a Spanish football grounds; this increased the stadium capacity to 6,000 spectators.

Barça fans associate these football grounds with the origin of the nickname “culers” (literally “arse-people”), used to refer to supporters of FC Barcelona. Far from being offensive, the name refers to fans seated in the highest row of the stadium. From outside, people who passed by could only see their backsides.

During four seasons from 1910 to 1913, the Club won a series of titles, which included the Spanish Cup (also known as the King’s Cup), and four Pyrenees Cups, which was the first international tournament that Barça played in. Teams from Catalonia, the Basque Country and the South of France played in this competition.

Barça’s skilled sportsmanship and its first title victories, combined with the emergence of star players, meant that football was becoming increasingly popular

The team’s success led to membership growth and compelled the fans to turn out to welcome the team home after a victory.

The players who beat Madrid in the Spanish Cup received a hero’s welcome at Passeig de Gràcia station, with the crowd following them to the building where the celebration dinner was held. The Canaletes drinks stand, in the centre of Barcelona, became the place where football results were announced. Fans have congregated here ever since to celebrate Barça’s successes.

The Club held a competition to choose a new design; the result, with slight modifications, is the coat of arms we know today, and was designed by the Barça player, Carles Comamala.

The coat of arms is representative of the Club’s identity. It features the St. George’s Cross and the four stripes of the Senyera, the Catalan flag. The Club’s colours, blue and claret, also appear with a football in the centre.

He is, without a doubt, Barça’s first star player and the Club’s top goalscorer. He scored a staggering 369 goals in 357 matches, representing an impressive average of one goal per match.

It is said that his kick was so powerful it could rip through the goal net. Alcántara always wore a white scarf tied round his waist.

Impressive results led Barça to win the title eight times, and in the 1909-1910 championship, the team won every single match it played.

1919 - 1930
Hedebuted alongside Samitier and, together, these players marked a turning point inthe Club's sporting history.

Zamora, nicknamed "el Diví" (The Divine One), only played with Barça for threeseasons, but his performances meant he left his mark on the team.

Samitier was known by the nickname of “home llagosta” (lobster man) because of his acrobatics on the field and was the first major idol of Catalan football.

He became a society figure and was often seen alongside artists like Carlos Gardel and Maurice Chevalier.

It was one of the best football grounds in Europe at that time. It was designed by Santiago Mestres and Josep Alemany, and cost a total of 991,984.05 pesetas. It had an initial capacity of 22,000 spectators and successive enlargements tripled this capacity to 60,000.

The Les Corts football grounds witnessed three decades of hope and glory, but also saw less successful periods

FC Barcelona celebrated its 25th anniversary on 7 and 8 December 1924, with two matches against Real Unión de Irun at Les Corts football grounds. The occasion was also marked by the “III Challenge Pere Prat” race, in addition to an athletics convention with Spanish and French representatives. At that time the Club had 12,207 members.

At the final, which took place in Santander, Barça beat Real Sociedad (3-1), after the first two matches ended in a draw.

The goalkeeper, Platko, suffered serious injuries during the match and was the day's hero.

For the first time ever, Barça’s victory was broadcast on the radio and the newspapers published special editions.

In only a few years, this competition would become the championship par excellence of Spanish football. It lasted four and a half months and FC Barcelona was the first champion with twenty-five points, two more than Real Madrid, which finished in second place.

Manuel Parera had the honour of being the team’s first goalscorer in the Spanish League.

However, this victory was not met with great enthusiasm at the time, as football fans thought that the League was an insignificant competition.

During the 1920s, football became a sport of the masses. FC Barcelona continued to attract huge amounts of support and was viewed as a dream team, comprising star players that became the first Barça idols, such as Samitier, Alcántara, Zamora, Sagi, Piera and Sancho.

This legendary team saw a growth of its fan base, which “prompted” the construction of the football grounds at Les Corts, in 1922; this was the first great Barça stadium. By 1923, the Club had in excess of 10,000 members.

Matches played against Barcelona’s Espanyol team, Barça’s biggest rival at that time, were always met with great expectation from devoted football fans, who followed the team to all its matches. The team enjoyed many years of success at the Les Corts football grounds.

1930 - 1939
FC Barcelona was committed to social, political and cultural reform, initiated by the Republican Catalan government. The official Club newsletter in October 1932 made the Club’s position clear: “Our club’s popularity undeniably includes elements that are not related to sport.” Participation in political and cultural acts formed part of this commitment.

At the beginning of the Civil War, the Club’s employees were faced with the threat of having FC Barcelona taken from them, prompting them to make an important committee decision that ultimately saved the organisation. The committee demonstrated its firm resolve not to break away from its pre-war leadership.

The 1930s were marked by political instability and general crisis, which inevitably took its toll on FC Barcelona. During this decade, the Club endured many cataclysmic events, which included its founder’s death, the Second Spanish Republic, the Spanish Civil War and the assassination of its president, Josep Suñol. In summary, it was a period characterised by uncertainty, which saw a reduction in membership and the cancellation of some players’ contracts.

The Club’s founder — a dynamic businessman and sportsman, responsible for the creation and development of a unique football club — had died, aged only 52.

The demise of FC Barcelona’s founder was a bad omen for the years to follow.

During the 1930s, society showed more interest in the political meetings than it did in football matches.

Barça entered a period of history characterised by its commitment to social, political and cultural reform. The new Club statutes, approved in May 1932, redefined the organisation. According to its first article, FC Barcelona was “a cultural and sporting association”. October saw the creation of the Cultural Committee, which promoted activities for members.

In July 1935, the new president Josep Sunyol i Garriga made it clear that he believed in political ideals based on Catalan nationalism. Using the motto “Sport and Citizenship”, he emphasised the link between society and sport.

FC Barcelona entered a period of decline and the team that had been so promising only a few years previously did not win any League or Spanish Cup championships; its success was limited to the Catalan League Championship.

With Sunyol as president, the Club's economy underwent a slight improvement and Barça embarked upon a new sporting policy with the purchase of promising players. The war, however, was a massive setback to the team's seemingly brighter future.

Suñol travelled to parliament from Valencia where he had gone on behalf of Joan Casanovas, the president of the Parliament of Catalonia. The visit was carried out in a political capacity and was not related to signing football players.

On 6 August 1936, Josep Suñol was shot dead by Francoist forces.

At one of the most difficult times ever experienced by Catalonia and Spain, the Club was without a president and in the midst of a revolution.

The competition was held instead of the League tournament, which had been cancelled because of the war.

FC Barcelona became the Mediterranean League champion. Since 1939, no team has ever won this title again, as it was abolished by a decree following Franco’s victory.

A workers’ committee took control and prevented the Club being collectivised by the CNT-FAI anarchist groups.

To escape the war and, at the same time, obtain funds for the organisation’s lamentable finances, Barça set out on a tour of Mexico and the United States. Some of the team’s players never returned to Barcelona.

The team was received in Mexico in the summer of 1937 as an ambassador of democracy and liberty.

1940 - 1949
The toughest moments experienced by FC Barcelona football club were the initial post-war years. The Club would not disappear without a fight. Subject to relentless repression and purges by the army and authorities, the identity of the organisation was changed completely.

The purges also affected the players; anyone who had gone on the tour to Mexico and the United States was suspended for two years. Many of the players were exiled abroad. The Club’s coat of arms and name were changed because they were not deemed to be sufficiently Spanish, and the Club’s presidents were scrupulously selected by the sports authorities.

The team formation in subsequent years, however, led to more promising title victories in the 1950s. For many people, Barça’s matches at Les Corts represented an oasis of freedom during years of fear, misery and repression.

The new political dictatorship distrusted Barça, viewing it as an organisation that was committed to the Republican cause and Catalan nationalism.

The Les Corts grounds were officially reopened for a match on 29 June 1939. The match was presided over by various military and civil authorities. Speeches were given proclaiming that the Club would cease to be a vehicle for anti-Spanish sentiment and would become a Spanish sports icon under the new regime.

César was one of Barça’s greatest ever goalscorers. He played 433 official matches and scored 294 goals. He became famous for his goals from corners, which he often scored with diving headers.

Other players influenced the team’s success, like Basora, one of the best wingers Barça has ever had, and Ramallets, one of the most talented goalkeepers in the Club’s history.

Josep Samitier’s contribution to Barça was not limited to his outstanding performance as a player. In 1944, he began an important stage as team manager.

With Samitier in charge, FC Barcelona won the 1944-45 Spanish League. It had not won the title since 1929.

Finalist teams from France, Italy, Portugal and Spain played for the Cup. The participating teams were Stade de Reims, Torino and Sporting Clube de Portugal. FC Barcelona beat Sporting in the final with a 2-1 victory.

The Club’s foundation was commemorated with a series of events and a three-way football tournament, between Barça, Boldklub from Denmark and Palmeiras from Brazil. Barça won the tournament. Taking full advantage of this anniversary celebration, the Club reinstated the four stripes of the Catalan flag that it had been forced to remove from its coat of arms. This was a clear demonstration of its desire to recover its identity, despite the limitations imposed by the existing circumstances. The massive turnout of Barça followers at the celebratory events that took place at Les Corts made it clear that the Club had outgrown the legendary football grounds.

The Uruguayan Enrique Fernández, who had played for Barça before the war, managed the team for three seasons, which resulted in two consecutive Spanish League titles. Fernández used tactics based on attack, which were to the liking of Barça fans.

1969 - 1978
In 1969, Agustí Montal Costa won the elections and became president of the Club. His programme insisted on member involvement, and was committed to the idea that all members would see their opinions reflected through their votes. In 1973, Montal was re-elected president; his election slogan was “Barça is more than a club”.

During his presidency, Montal avidly defended the restoration of Catalanism and was firmly opposed to centralism in football, as exercised by the Spanish Football Federation and the National Sports Delegation. His influence led Futbol Club Barcelona to begin to recover its symbols, starting with the organisation’s name that had been changed to sound more Spanish after the Civil War.

The outbreak of corruption associated with the oriondos (foreign players who falsified birth certificates in order to claim Spanish heritage and be admitted into Spanish football) meant that it became possible to sign foreign players. Barça’s dream of signing Johan Cruyff began to look like a reality.

Victories by the Roller Hockey section began to mount up; hockey is the professional section that has won the most national and international titles for the Club.

On 13 August 1973, Cruyff joined Barça. He became the leader of a talented team, managed by Rinus Michels, which brought the Camp Nou back to its former glory. Cruyff demonstrated an intelligent style of play and superb technique.

The Dutch star went down in history for some unforgettable moments, like his memorable goal against Atlético de Madrid. Cruyff flew into the air to intercept the ball from Rexach and beat the goalkeeper, Reina.

The team started to climb up the league tables once more, and Barça’s victories began to mount. Barça won the Spanish League after defeating Sporting de Gijón 2-4. There were still five match days left, but the League was already won, following fourteen years of frustration for Barça. The team’s vertiginous ascent up the league table during the 1973-74 season included one spectacular match fought out in the Santiago Bernabéu stadium, on 17 February 1974. Barça stormed the pitch, culminating in a legendary 0-5 win, with a star line-up of Mora, Rifé, Costas, De la Cruz, Torres, Juan Carlos, Rexach, Asensi, Cruyff, Sotil and Marcial.

In 1972, the Catalan language was once more emitted through the loudspeakers at the Camp Nou and the Club newsletter began to use Catalan. In 1973, the Club reinstated its original name: Futbol Club Barcelona.

During the final season of Montal’s presidency, Barça pledged support in favour of the re-establishment of the Catalan government.

1988-1996
From 1988 on, with Cruyff as manager, Barça came to be associated once more with excellent football and sporting success. The board of directors presided over by Nuñez focused on building up a team of footballers that would spark enthusiasm and perform well. The Camp Nou began to fill up once again.

FC Barcelona managed to secure four consecutive Spanish League championships, between 1990 and 1994. Winning the European Cup in 1992 was the pinnacle of this period, which was characterised by the team’s one touch play and attacking style and the winning mentality of Cruyff’s players.

Known as the 'Dream Team' of European football, the following unforgettable players went down in the Club’s history: Zubizarreta, Bakero, Begiristain, Laudrup, Koeman, Stoichkov, Romário, Eusebio, Nadal, Guardiola, Amor, Juan Carlos, Ferrer, Nando, Julio Salinas, Serna, Alexanko and Goikoetxea.

Led by the Cruyff-Rexach duo, the team finally drew a line under its troubled past; Barça became one of the biggest names in world football.

“I know the Club and I don’t want history to repeat itself. If we want things to change, we must change history”. These words set the Cruyff era in motion, marked by a change of philosophy. The team’s tactics were modified to incorporate the Dutch coach Rinus Michels’s “total football”. Team management also changed, becoming the exclusive responsibility of the manager.

With Cruyff, Barça experienced a glorious era. Cruyff’s track record includes one European Cup, four Spanish League championships, one Cup Winners’ Cup, one Spanish Cup and four Spanish Supercups. He was also responsible for introducing “rondos” (a circle of players pass the ball to each other, while one in the centre tries to catch it) into the team’s training sessions.

On 10 May 1989, goals from Salinas and López Rekarte led FC Barcelona to a 2-0 victory against UC Sampdoria of Genoa. Over 25,000 supporters travelled to Switzerland to support the team. Cruyff’s new Barça took home the Club’s third Cup Winners’ Cup. After years of disillusionment, fans returned to Canaletes and Plaça Sant Jaume to celebrate the top football team’s victory.

FC Barcelona beat FK Proleter Zrenjanin 20-17 before a capacity crowd at the Palau. The combination of veteran players, like Rico, Sagalés and Serrano, and promising young players, such as Masip, Urdangarín and Barrufet, alongside the best player in the world, Veselin Vujović, brought the desired results. Barça’s European domination began here, with a team that is one of the main favourites to win titles, year after year.

1996-2008
Few organisations reach their one hundredth anniversary, for doing so requires consistence and continuity. The aim of FC Barcelona's centenary was to celebrate the link between a glorious past and new hope for the future.

The commemorative events saw an outpouring of Barça sentiment, and offered an emotional opportunity to spend a year looking back at the Club's proud history. Several important personages from Catalan culture were involved, as did the media and several major organisations. Famous artist Antoni Tàpies designed the official Centenary poster, thus adding his name to list of internationally renowned artists and writers that have helped aggrandise FC Barcelona's symbolic universe over the years.

In 2003, newly elected president Joan Laporta brought with him a young and dynamic generation of directors who totally changed the Club's image. His priority was to make it possible for the club's sporting successes to have a knock-on effect on the more social aspects of the Club.

The following years were spectacular in many ways: there was sporting success, an exponential increase in membership, economic progress that situated the Club among the world's elite and an unprecedented focus on charity projects that was culminated with Barça's collaboration agreement with Unicef in 2006, which projects Barça's caring image around the world, thus definitively globalising the notion of being "more than a club".

The most long-awaited victory of all, the second European Cup title, came thanks to a team led by Ronaldinho, much to the delight of the fans, who were once again dreaming big after winning two consecutive league titles.

Louis Van Gaal took over as manager of FC Barcelona from Bobby Robson, who had won the Cup Winners Cup and Copa del Rey in his only year at the Club, 1996-97, with a team led by the young and effective striker, Ronaldo,

Van Gaal led Barça to its first League and Cup double in 39 years. In his second season at FC Barcelona, the Dutchman retained the League title.

The Club wanted the FC Barcelona Centenary celebrations to go on for a year. The fans and sportspeople enjoyed a series of commemorative events between November 1998 and November 1999. It all started with a massive fiesta in the stadium. One of the most memorable moments came when legendary Catalan singer Manuel Serrat sung the Barça anthem before one hundred thousand spectators. Another emotional moment was the parade of hundreds of sportspeople that have defended the FCB colours over the years.

Frank Rijkaard's Barcelona Wins its Second Champions League in Paris The goals by Eto’o and Belletti illuminated the Stade de France. It was the victory of joyous football, the so-called “jogo bonito”, a bold and daring style, acclaimed the world over. Thousands of members and fans celebrated the victory in Paris, and millions more followed suit in Barcelona and other cities inside and outside Catalonia.

In 2006 a historic agreement was signed with UNICEF, by virtue of which the Club undertook to collaborate financially with this association, which works for children’s rights and their protection, and whose anagram the Club’s first-team shirt now bears. The first match in which the team sported the shirt with the UNICEF logo was on 12 September 2006, in the Camp Nou, in a Champions League match against Levski Sofia. Barça put on yet another brilliant exhibition that ended with a resounding 5-0 victory. 2003. New look under president Joan Laporta.Good times return with Rijkaard and Ronaldinho In June 2003, the members voted in a new Board of Directors led by Joan Laporta. The new Board signed Frank Rijkaard as manager and Ronaldinho as its new star. The Club had just gone four years without a major trophy, and the Brazilian's arrival generated the kind of expectations that had been lacking for far too long.

Rijkaard's side stormed to the 2004-05 League title, and retained their title a year later. Ronaldinho was the iconic figurehead of that team, assisted by the likes of Edmilson, Giuly, Belletti, Sylvinho and most especially, Deco and Eto'o, plus a number of locally produced stars in Valdés, Oleguer, Puyol, Xavi and Iniesta.

2008-2012
2008-2011 The best years in our history

Under Josep Guardiola, the team improved even further. Playing with the same style that Cruyff had introduced, Guardiola was a firm supporter of basing his team around the club's own youth system and promoted several young talents to the first team, and the result was the greatest Barça team ever.

The greatest international recognition of this came when the FIFA Ballon d'Or nominations in 2010 shortlisted Xavi, Iniesta and Messi for the honour, all three of whom had grown up at La Masia, the residence where young sportspeople of all ages are trained and educated.

This team was the culmination of everything that FC Barcelona stands for, and produced an amazing string of major titles, including two Champions Leagues and three Spanish Leagues, plus the long-awaited Clubs World Cup, which was finally won in 2009, that extraordinary year when Barcelona won all six major trophies, something unprecedented in the history of European football.

Barça broke all kinds of records, played memorable matches and won just about every title on offer. But the finest hour for Guardiola's side came at Wembley, when the world was enchanted by the kind of football that dreams are made of. The world's press bestowed praise on this extraordinary side that had written one of the most incredible chapters in the history of the game.

But it wasn't just the football team that was collecting honours. The basketball, handball and roller hockey teams also won further European titles, and the futsal team won the League for the first time ever. That latest conquest meant that the Club set a new record in 2010-11 by winning 16 professional titles. Never before had FC Barcelona won so much silverware in a single season.

Guardiola returns as manager

Josep Guardiola substituted Frank Rijkaard after two trophy-less seasons

He applied the same style that he had learned in his playing days at the Club, based on attack, possession and combination plays. And it worked to perfection.

In his first season, Guardiola won all three major titles. 2009 was the year that Barça won an amazing six trophies. That success continued over the next two seasons, meaning that Barça had won 10 of the 13 competitions it was involved in.

Guardiola set new standards for world football. But his Barça team was not just about what it did on the field, for it also made other important contributions to society.

2009. Barça and Guardiola win third European Cup in Rome

Guardiola was missing several key defenders against a Manchester United side that looked in control until Eto'o’s goal changed everything. From then on, Barça were vastly superior, and Messi added a second to make it 2-0.

On May 27, 2009 Barça not only won the Champions League against the defending champions, but also became the first Spanish club to win the League, Copa del Rey and Champions League in the same season.

2009. The magic year: Barça win six cups

Josep Guardiola’s first year as manager was nothing short of astonishing

The team won every trophy at stake, a total of six, and in authoritative fashion. Nobody could argue that every one of those titles was thoroughly deserved.

The year ended with plenty of cause for celebration, following the most successful year in club history.

May 13 Copa del Rey May 16 League May 27 Champions League August 23 Spanish Supercup August 28 European Supercup December 19 Clubs World Cup

== 2010. Sandro Rosell becomes new president of the Club==

He had previously been on the FCB Board in 2003, as part of Laporta's team. It was he who was behind the signing of Ronaldinho.

Rosell's campaign slogan was "We are all Barça", and he based his ideas on listening hard to the members' needs for two years. In 2010, he was named the new president of FC Barcelona following a landslide victory, getting a 61.35% share of the vote, the biggest ever. Sandro Rosell thus became the most highly voted president in Club history

2010. International recognition of La Masia

All three places on the podium were to be taken by players produced at La Masia. The journalists, coaches and captains that had named the trio thus showed their admiration for the amazing Barça style.

It was the first time all three candidates had been produced by the same club, and was fine recognition for everything that is done at La Masia. Three terrific players, who had been trained not just to play great football but also to show effort and humility and to respect fair play, were officially accredited as the three best players in the world for 2010. == 2011. Barça and Guardiola win fourth European Cup at Wembley==

The venue was the new Wembley, the same place where they had won their first title in 1992 under Johan Cruyff, so there was added symbolism for the occasion.

After winning a difficult and very high profile semi final with Real Madrid, Barça faced Manchester United in the final, the same team they had beaten two years earlier in Rome. Barça were by far the better team and cruised to a 3-1 win with one goal from each of the strikers: Pedro, Messi and Villa.

It was an exhibition unlike anything seen before in a European final. The whole world watched in awe and the press was unanimous in its praise for the incredible Barcelona team.

2012.
The 2011–12 season is Futbol Club Barcelona's 112th in existence and the club's 81st consecutive season in the barcelona 2010-11 starting 11 alone costed more than every single player on the invincibles costed top flight of Spanish football. Barcelona debuted their new and first paid shirt sponsor Qatar Foundation after an agreement was reached in 2010 with the non-profit organization for a 5½ years, €170 million deal. The agreement with UNICEF continued and their name had been moved to the lower back portion of the shirt. The year also introduced a new away kit in black while the third jersey was the same as the 2010–11 season.

Barcelona's U-19 squad played in the inaugural tournament of the NextGen series. After finishing first in their group during the group stage, they were eliminated by Ajax in the quarter-finals of the tournament.

Barcelona ended the La Liga season at the 2nd place, 8 points behind leaders Real Madrid who ended on 100 points. The fact that Barcelona would not win their fourth consecutive La Liga title was confirmed after Real Madrid defeated Athletic Bilbao 3-0 on the 2nd of May, 2012.

Barcelona also exited the UEFA Champions League in the semifinals after a 2–3 aggregate loss against eventual winners Chelsea

Goodbye Guardiola.

Pep Guardiola's numbers as manager

13 titles won and a 70% win rate are just a few of Pep Guardiola’s stats since his took charge of FC Barcelona’s first team

Pep Guardiola started his career on the bench in 2007 when he took charge of Barça B when the team was in the Spanish Third Division. A year later, after having led the reserve side to Second Division B, the Catalan took the reins from Frank Rijkaard as the first-team manager. In his over 200 matches at the FC Barcelona helm he won 13 titles.

PEP GUARDIOLA'S TOTAL NUMBERS

- Matches: 242

- Victories: 175

- Draws: 46

- Defeats: 21

- Goals scored: 618 (2,55 per match)

- Goals conceded: 178 (0,73 per match)

- Winning % : 72,31%

PEP GUARDIOLA IN LA LIGA

- Titles: 2008/09, 2009/10 and 2010/11

- Matches: 148

- Victories: 113

- Draws: 24

- Defeats: 11

- Winning % in 08-09: 71%

- Winning % in 09-10: 81,5%

- Winning % in 10-11: 78,9%

- Winning % in 11-12: 73,5%

PEP GUARDIOLA IN THE KING'S CUP

- Titles: 2008/09

- Matches: 30

- Victories: 21

- Draws: 6

- Defeats: 3

PEP GUARDIOLA IN THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

- Titles: 2008/09 i 2010/11

- Matches: 52

- Victories: 31

- Draws: 15

- Defeats: 6

PEP GUARDIOLA: Other competitions (European Super Cup, Spanish Super Cup, Club World Cup)

- Spanish Super Cup Titles: 2009/10, 2010/11 and 2011/12

- European Super Cup Titles: 2009/10 and 2011/12

- Club World Cup Titles: 2009/10 and 2011/12

- Matches: 12

- Victories: 10

- Draws: 1

- Defeats: 1

Honours as manager

- 2011 FIFA Best Manager of the Year

- Best manager in 2009 and 2011 according to the IFFHS

- ONZE d’Or as best European manger in 2009 and 2011

- Best LFP manager in 2009 and 2011

- World's best manager according to World Soccer in 2009 and 2011

- Royal Order of Athletic Merit 2010

- Gold medal from the Parlament de Catalunya

- 2009 Catalan of the year

- Santpedor's favourite son in 2009