FC Barcelona Football Club
Founded in 1899
Address: Avda. Aristides Maillol s / n ES - 08028 BARCELONA
Stadium: Camp Nou (98,109 seats)
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| FC Barcelona Football Club |
The history of FC Barcelona, known as the Barcelonabegins at the end of the 20th century, when a group of foreigners living in Barcelona, composed mostly of English, Swiss and Germans, trying to s' enroll in sports clubs in the city to play football. But the sport is still not practiced. So that by 1899, they decided to form their own club, FC Barcelona.
The club was founded on 29 November 1899 by the Swiss Hans Gamper, former player of FC Basel. Bearer of Catalonia, the club blaugrana has always evolved in Primera Division since the inception of the championship in 1928-1929.
Barca has been evolving since 1957 at Camp Nou. Between 1922 and 1957, the Catalan club was operating at Camp Vell, also in the Barcelona neighborhood of Les Corts. The club is always the enemy of Real Madrid (see El Clasico).
During the civil war, Josep Sunyol club president was shot by the troops of General Francisco Franco for his ideas Catalan autonomy. After the war, Franco attempts to suppress political and cultural particularities of Spain, including the Basque Country and Catalonia. FC Barcelona is muzzled. From that time the club acquired a new dimension and became one of the major symbols of Catalan nationalism. This role is particularly highlighted by the club's motto "My only club" (more than a club in Catalan).
The club is run by Sandro Rosell, who was elected president on 13 June 2010 for a term of six years and succeeds Joan Laporta.
Johan Cruijff is honorary president of the club since March 2010.
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| FC Barcelona Football Club |
FC Barcelona, Spanish league title, is the favorite football club in Europe with 57.8 million supporters, according to the study of German firm Sport + Markt, published Thursday.
Barca lead over its archrival Spain, Real Madrid (31.3 million supporters), Manchester United (30.6 million), Chelsea (21.4 million) and Bayern Munich (20.7 million).
The study found that FC Barcelona has registered an increase of 13.6 million supporters, compared to 2009, while Real has conceded a drop of 10 million supporters.
Inter Milan, author of a sensational triple Championship / Italian Cup / Champions League in 2010, does not point to the 8th place (17.5 million) achieved this ranking after consultation of 10,200 football fans in 17 European countries in May.
Four English clubs and four Italian clubs are among the top 20, but only two Spanish clubs (FC Barcelona, Real Madrid), much as French clubs (Marseille and 14th with 7.8 M Lyons 17th with 6.6 million).
Moreover, the French fans are the most numerous (94%) to support a foreign club in addition to a club playing in the Ligue 1, against 71% for English, 61% for Spaniards, 60% for Germans and 50% for Italians.
