FC BARCELONA
MORE THAN A CLUB
On the 29th of November 1899, Joan Gamper founded the Football Club Barcelona. Gamper chose the famous blue and claret as the team colours for they are the colours of the Swiss canton he came from. The myth was born: Kubala, Suárez, Cruyff, Maradona and Ronaldinho, among many others, have signed up for this Club. During the 20th century, "Barça" has become a Barcelona symbol, a symbol that represents the Catalan identity as a nation. That's why it is said that "Barça" is more than a Club.
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THE MYTH IS BORN
In the Solé Gym office, on the 29th of November 1899, Gamper met Gualteri Wild, Lluís d'Ossó, Bartomeu Terrados, Otto Kunzle, Otto Maier, Enric Ducal, Pere Cabot, Carles Pujol, Josep Llobet, John Parsons and William Parsons. Eleven sportsmen gathered in order to found a football club. Gualteri Wild was appointed President. The 1st match contested was at the Bonanova Cycle Track and they played against a group of English expatriates who were living in Barcelona. The Englishmen won 1-0. On the 14th of March 1909, the Club inaugurated its 1st own ground at c/Indústria, with a capacity for 6,000 people. At that time, the Barcelona FC obtained their first victories: The Catalan Championships: 1909-10, 1910-11, 1912-13, 1915-16, 1918-19 1919-20, 1920-21, 1921-22 and the Spanish Championships: 1909-10, 1911-12, 1912-13, 1919-20 and 1921-22.
LES CORTS STADIUM
The Les Corts ground (also known as "The Cathedral of Football") was inaugurated on the 20th of May 1922. That stadium had an initial capacity of 30,000 spectators but later doubled to 60,000. In 1924 the Club had already 12,207 members and a big number of supporters laid the foundations of the current social mass. During the season 1928-1929, Barça won brilliantly the 1st edition of the Spanish National League Title and ended, therefore, a period full of titles.
THE 30'S
Joan Gamper died on the 30th of July 1930. The decade which was about to start had a fatal beginning and the Club entered a period of decline: institutional crisis, many members left the Club, bad sports results and the Franco's supporters political pressure. The Civil War in 1936 had disastrous consequences for the FC Barcelona. Josep Suñol, President of the Club, was murdered by Franco's soldiers near Guadalajara. However, the Barça kept alive and in 1936 decided to go on tour around Mexico and the USA, fact that would help the Club financial problems. In March 1938 the fascists dropped a bomb on the FC Barcelona Social Club and cause serious damage. In 1939, the Franco's troops created many problems to the Club because it had already become a symbol to the Catalan people. The number of members also dropped to 3,486.
LA COPA LATINA (The Latin Cup)
During the 40's, Barça gradually recovered despite their internal difficulties. In June 1943, the scandalous game against Madrid in the Chamartín ground, saw the Barca players threatened by referee and police and Piñeyro, a fascist supporter, but honestly disgusted at the treatment his team had received, resigned from the presidency of the Club (which he had held since 1940). Better times were to come. Barça won the National League Titles 1944-45, 1947-48 and 1948-49 and the Latin Cup Title 1949, a competition which preceded the European Champions Cup Title, the FC Barcelona 1st international success. It was the time of César, Basora, Velasco, Curta, the Gonzalvo brothers, Seguer, Biosca o Ramallets. Barça celebrated their 50th anniversary reaching member numbers of 24,893.
KUBALA
Ladislao Kubala arrived in Barcelona in June 1950 and made the FC Barcelona become an unbeatable team thanks to their magic forward line: Basora, César, Kubala, Moreno and Manchón. Between 1951 and 1953, Barça won every competition on offer (Spanish Leagues 1951-52 and 1952-53 and Spanish Cups 1950-51, 1951-52 and 1952-53). From that golden period, it is important to emphasize the season 1951-52, in which they obtained the Five Cups: Spanish League, Spanish Cup, Latin Cup Eva Duarte and Martini Rossi trophies.
THE CAMP NOU, 1957
Kubala was too huge a figure for Les Corts and soon Francesc Miró-Sans promoted the building of the Camp Nou Stadium, which got inaugurated on the 24th September 1957. The new stadium had a capacity of 90,000
Barça won the Spanish Leagues 1958-59 and 1959-60, and the Fairs' Cups 1957-1958 and 1959-60, coached by Helenio Herrera with such excellent players as Kocsis, Czibor, Evaristo, Kubala, Eulogio Martínez, Suárez, Villaverde, Olivella, Gensana, Segarra, Gràcia, Vergés and Tejada. The 60's were a period of crisis (they won the Spanish Cups 1963 and 1968 and the Fairs' Cup 1966, only). However it was then that the sentence "more than a Club" was born. Barça was over the sports level: the Club and its colours became a way to defend the Catalan national identity .
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CRUYFF
In 1973, the signing of Dutch Johan Cruyff put the finishing touches to a golden forward line of Rexach, Asensi, Cruyff, Sotil and Marcial, who led the league winning side of 1973-74. Coinciding with the Club's 75th anniversary, there were now 69,566 members, making it the most powerful sporting club in the World. Joan Miró did the commemorative poster of that event.
JOSEP LLUÍS NUÑEZ
In 1978, Josep Lluís Núñez became President. The Club then began a considerable period of social and financial expansion. The increase in member numbers reached the 100,000 and many supporter's clubs were founded. The FC Barcelona was becoming the sports most important entity in the world. Barça were also provided with emblematic sports facilities: the Camp Nou expansion (with a capacity of more than 100,000 spectators), the building of the Miniestadi, the Palau Blaugrana, and so on.
The Núñez era constitutes without any doubt the most brilliant sports moment in the Barça history: Basilea Cup Winner's Cup, the Spanish League 1984-85, under Terry Venables, the Dream Team (1990-1994) under Johan Cruyff (four consecutive Spanish Leagues, the Cup Winners' Cup, the Spanish Cup and the Spanish Super Cup, and the European Champions Cup at the Wembley Stadium). Then came Bobby Robson, who won the Cup Winner's Cup, the Spanish Cup and the Spanish Super Cup in the 1996-97 season and Louis van Gaal's consecutive League Titles in 1997-98 and 1998-99, when the team won the double for the first time in 39 years.
TODAY'S BARÇA
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The FC Barcelona is currently a sports entity which includes basketball, handball, hockey, athletism, ice-hockey, figure skating, indoor football, rugby, baseball, volleyball and women's football sections. The football team are the only side to have qualified for European competition every year since its inauguration in 1955. There are now a total of 105,706 members and 1,508 supporters' clubs.
REAL MADRID
THE CLUB
A GIANT IS BORN
On the 6th of March 1902 the Club was founded and Juan Parós was appointed President. The team's gear consisted of white shorts and t-shirt, blue socks and a purple band on the coat of arms embroidered in colour. Mr. Arthur Johnson from the UK was the first coach of the Club.
From that moment on, the Club that would reach an unsurpassable professional level is born.
Right now its trophy record shows that it is probably one of the best football teams in the world. |
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THE STRENGTH OF A CLUB
Although the Madrid Football Club was founded on the 6th of March 1902, it was not until the 29th of June 1920 that the King Alfonso XII awarded the Club with the title of Real (Royal). From that moment on, the Club would obtain the new name of Real Madrid.
Just some time before that, on the 31st of October 1912, a young forward player called Santiago Bernabéu made his debut in the team. On the 17th of May 1924 the field of Chamartín, built by José María Castell, was inaugurated. On the 15th of September 1943 that young player, Santiago Bernabéu, became President. That same year, Real Madrid won the Cup of Generalisimo against Barcelona.
THE FIRST GOLDEN PERIOD
In 1956 Real Madrid conquered their first EURopean Champions Cup after having obtained 3 Spanish League Titles already. From that moment on, 12 years of constant trophies would come.
Navarro, Hon, Luciano, Alfredo di Stefano, Puskas, Mateo, Grosso, Amar, Pirri, Sanchís are among the most significant names of that time.
1956. RM win their first EURopean Champions Cup after beating the French Stade Reims, 4-3.
1957. Second EURopean Champions Cup against Fiorentina, 2-0. Fifth Spanish League Title.
1958. Third EURopean Champions Cup against AC Milan, 3-2, in Brussels. Sixth Spanish League Title.
1959. Fourth EURopean Champions Cup against Stade Reims, 2-0.
1960. Fifth EURopean Champions Cup against Eintracth of Francfort, 7-3.
1961. Seventh Spanish League Title.
1962. RM win their tenth Cup after beating Sevilla CF, 2-1. Eight Spanish League Title.
1963. Ninth Spanish League Title.
1964. Tenth Spanish League Title.
1965. Eleventh Spanish League Title.
1966. Sixth EURopean Champions Cup after beating the Partizan of Belgrade, 2-1.
1967. Twelfth Spanish League Title.
1968. Thirteenth Spanish League Title.
1969. Fourteenth Spanish League Title.
1970-1980
For the following years, Real Madrid were already considered the best team in EURope. With six EURopean Champions Cup Titles, the team hired a new coach, the Yugoslavian, Miljan Miljanic, who coached Real Madrid in their first début in the Cup-Winners' Cup in which they won over Chelsea, 2-1.
In 1974, the white team won the Cup after beating the favourite FC Barcelona by a clear 4-0.
They kept obtaining victories in the Spanish League. The German Ulrich Strike and Juanito, among others, joined Real Madrid and a new super team was slowly being created.
In 1978 Santiago Bernabéu died, President of Real Madrid for 35 years, leaving a memory of a matchless effort and dedication in the history of Spanish football .
SECOND GOLDEN PERIOD: THE "BUITRE" TEAM
At the beginning of the 80's, the team needed a change: there was a team completely consolidated but there were few really relevant players. Juanito, Santillana, Camacho are some of the players whom the reserve young players joined. The fabulous "Quinta del Buitre" (the Buitre Team) with Butrageño, Michel, Sanchís, Gordillo, Martín Vázquez, Hugo Sánchez initiated a new golden period. The President then was Mendoza.
1980. Twentieth Spanish League Title and Fourteenth Spanish Cup after beating Castilla, 6-1.
1981. EURopean Champions Cup runner-up after losing against FC Liverpool, 1-0.
1982. Fifteenth Spanish Cup after beating Sporting Gijón, 2-1.
1983. EURopean Cup-Winners' Cup runner-up after losing against the Scottish Aberdeen, 2-1. 1985. UEFA Cup Title after beating in a double match the Hungarian Videotón, 3-0 and 0-1. Spanish Cup Title winner.
1986. Second UEFA Cup after beating in a double match, the German FC Köln, 5-2 and 0-2. Twenty-first Spanish League Title.
1987. Twenty-second Spanish League Title.
1988. Twenty-third Spanish League Title. First Spanish Super Cup Title after beating FC Barcelona.
1989. Twenty-fourth Spanish League Title and Sixteenth Spanish Cup after winning over Real Valladolid, 2-0.
1990. Twenty-fifth Spanish League Title. Second Spanish Super Cup Title after beating FC Barcelona.
THE 90'S
During the 90's, Real Madrid were still one of the best national league teams but the rivalry against the Cruyff's FC Barcelona makes them wait until 1995 to recover all of their magnificence. Laudrup, Zamorano, Redondo were some of the players who took over this mission.
1995. Twenty-sixth Spanish League Title. Lorenzo Sanz is appointed President of Real Madrid once Ramón Mendoza leaves the Club.
1997. Twenty-seventh Spanish League Title. Fourth Spanish Super Cup Title after beating FC Barcelona.
1998. Seventh EURopean Champions Cup after beating the Juventus from Torino, 1-0, on the 20 th of May 1998 in the Amsterdam Arena, in the Netherlands. Pedja Mijatovic scored the goal. Second Intercontinental Cup Title after beating Vasco de Gama with a decisive goal from Raúl.
2000. Real Madrid participate in their first World Cup of Clubs. Eight EURopean Champions Cup Title after beating Valencia in Paris. Florentino Pérez is appointed President after winning over Lorenzo Sanz by a narrow margin in the Club elections.
100 YEARS OF REAL MADRID
2002. Real Madrid celebrate their 100th anniversary.
With two more Spanish League Titles, during this period Real Madrid become for the 9th time the EURopean Champion after beating the German Bayer Leverkusen, 2-1.
The best football stars join the Club: Ronaldo, Zidane, Beckham together with Raúl, Roberto Carlos and the rest of the squad keep the Club in the leadership of professional football.
The current team has all the strength to obtain the leading role in the next golden period.
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