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Futbol Club Barcelona was founded in 1899 by a team of English, Swiss, and Catalan footballers, headed by Joan Gamper and today the club enjoys spectacular worldwide support, as well as being one of the most popular expressions of Catalanism and Catalan culture. This sometimes puts it at odds with Real Madrid and the result is a long-standing rivalry between the two biggest clubs in Spain, whose highly anticipated matches are dubbed «el clasico», with Barcelona representing a Spain of regions against Real Madrid’s centralist vision of the country.

The club first got off the ground when Gamper put an advertisement in the Los Deportes regarding his desire to form a football club, and soon he found some supporters who met at the Gimnasio Sole on 29th November to discuss plans. The meeting was attended by Walter Wild who went ahead to become the first director of the club, Otto Kunzle, Enric Ducal, Pere Cabot, Josep Llobet, Otto Maier, Josep Llobet, Carles Pujol, John Parsons, Lluís d’Osso, Bartomeu Terradas, and William Parsons – FC Barcelona was born!

The club had a successful start in the regional as well as national level, and it went from strength to strength. The team won its first trophy, the Copa Macaya in 1902. Since its inception, FC Barcelona has achieved fame across the world with its consistent efforts to excel and create a mark in the history of football. Such is the support that the club even has an official anthem, called the «Cant del Barça», written by Josep Maria Espinas and Jaume Picas.

Contrary to many other football clubs, FC Barcelona is owned and operated by its members. The club is often considered to be the second-richest football club in the world, in terms of revenue. Barcelona is the only European club that has consistently played European football matches every season since 1995 and is also one of only three clubs that have never been relegated from La Liga, alongside arch-rival Real Madrid and Athletic Bilbao.

In the year 2009, FC Barcelona became the first Spanish club ever to be victorious in the treble, constituting of Copa del Rey, La Liga, and the Champions League. In the same season, the club also became the first in Spain to win six out of six matches in the same year. FC Barcelona has fans across the world eagerly waiting for each season to see how their favorite team will battle out with other teams for the trophy.

FC Barcelona is a well-known name for the football fans scattered all over the world. The club has some of the start and most promising players in football world. However, there is more to the club than just the fine skills displayed by its players. Here are some interesting and amusing FC Barcelona facts that are sure to surprise its supporters.

Facts on History of Barcelona: The club was founded by Hans Gamper, a Swiss nationalist with the help of a newspaper advertisement and is now owned and operated solely by the club members. It was never a mere football club but a political symbol as well. The club stood as a symbol against Rivera’s and Franco’s dictatorships and has always had a strong tie with the Catalan nationalism. It was during Franco’s dictatorship, the club was forced to change the name to Club De Football De Barcelona. However, the club changed its name back to this club in the year 1974 because of its Catalan roots. The club was forbidden from using the Catalan Language during the Franco dictatorship. However, over the years, it has become a rule that the players of FC Barcelona will have to know the Catalan language, with some exceptions like Lionel Messi.

Facts on Club’s Achievements: The club has been ranked by Forbes as the second most valuable club in the world and has proved itself to be one of the most popular clubs across Europe. It is also the club with highest number of players winning the Ballon d’Or, with 11 Barcelona players having won it. Lionel Messi, one of the most popular Barca players, has won the Ballon d’Or five times. The club had also defeated its arch rival Real Madrid FC on their first official match with a score of 6-1.

Fun FC Barcelona Facts:

· This club doesn’t run short of fun and amusing facts either. Very few people know that FC Barcelona fans are known as «ass» in the Catalan language.

· Though it is commonly thought that unlike other Barça players, Lionel Messi does not know Catalan language, he was heard addressing the public in this language when he was drunk after a Barça win!

· The Camp Nou stadium is one of the largest stadiums in Europe but the matches there are seldom attended by the local people. This is probably because of the high ticket prices due to its international fame.

· FC Barcelona and Real Madrid have had a long history of political rivalry as well, with the latter being supported by the political power of Franco and the former being against his dictatorship.

· This club has invented its own style of playing which is known as tiki-taka or The Total Football Philosophy. Johan Cruyff is the man behind this famous football playing style and the strategy has brought the club many victories.

· For a long time, FC Barcelona was against corporate advertising but the policy was finally taken down and they collaborated with UNICEF for the first time in 2006.

The match ended with 4 goals, 8 yellow cards, a red card and lots of controversies. Pretty explosive for an El Clasico with no stakes.

The El Clasico has always been one of the most awaited football matches that features FC Barcelona and Real Madrid, two of the biggest football clubs on the planet. The clash is not just limited to the contrasting football styles of the clubs as it is also seen as a clash between Spain and Catalunia. With such importance attached to the match, it has always lived up to the expectation of football fans. Emotions run high on the field as tempers flare and controversies and fights ensue. This Sunday’s El Clasico had been described as a damp affair even before its start as Barcelona had already won the league while Real Madrid were being cautious in preparation for the Champions League Finals. The fact that this was Iniesta’s last Clasico was the only reason most fans looked forward to the football match. There were others who reminded the fact that Barcelona had remained unbeaten during the league and cup season so far and a defeat would mean they would fail to go the full season unbeaten.

But all of that damp El Clasico talk turned into dust as Barcelona took an early lead through Luis Suarez who perfectly connected with a Sergio Roberto cross. Real Madrid soon equalized as Cristiano Ronaldo connected with Benzema’s headed pass that was set up by Toni Kroos. Both teams continued to threaten each other’s goals as chances were being created left and right. Ronaldo also picked up an injury that saw him hobbling during the rest of the half. By the end of the 40th minute, two of Real Madrid’s defenders were shown yellow cards and so were Barcelona’s Messi and Saurez. But the real controversy started when the referee failed to notice Gareth Bale’s horrible challenge on Samuel Umtiti that should have earned him a straight red card.

Things soon started getting heated up as half-time approached. A Real Madrid attack on the left flank saw a clash between Marcelo and Sergio Roberto. The latter lost as cool and threw his fist into Marcelo’s face. The referee had a clear view of this clash and showed a straight red to Roberto just at the half-time break. This meant that Barcelona had to play the entire second half, one man down.

While Barcelona were down to 10-men, Real Madrid had to substitute Ronaldo due to his first-half injury that caused a swollen ankle. Real Madrid dominated the half but were not able to create many chances. Barcelona once again took the lead as Messi scored from Suarez’s pass. There was a fierce protest from Real Madrid players as Saurez had fouled Varane in the lead up to the goal but got away with it. Real Madrid struggled to find the equalizer against a 10-man Barcelona and it was Gareth Bale who curled it in the 72nd minute to level the scoreline.

Barcelona continued to attack as a super effort from Lionel Messi was beautifully saved by Navas. Messi once again ended up close to scoring as a curling shot from him ended just wide from the post. Real Madrid too were starting to take advantage of 10-man Barcelona. Marcelo was brought down inside Barcelona’s box but the referee once again made a controversial call as Real Madrid were denied a clear penalty. Barcelona, having given a clear lifeline, continued to resist all advances from Real Madrid and hang on to dear life. Nelson Semedo brought on for Coutinho to take up Roberto’s position in defense, impressed with his speed and stamina. Finally, Semedo cleared the ball with a header as the referee blew the final whistle.

Andres Iniesta’s final El Clasico had exploded into life early on and lived up to the billing. There was applause all around has the Maestro took his one last bow.

Despite all the controversies and bad refereeing decisions, everyone was satisfied with the result. Barcelona’s manager Ernesto Valverde later exclaimed that it would have hurt if the unbeaten streak had been broken by Real Madrid, so a draw was a fair and acceptable result. As they say, even a draw means unbeaten. Everyone who saw Sunday’s El Clasico will agree that the players took to field as if everything was at stake, contrary to the belief that nothing was.

Spain is currently the football capitol of the world. Not only did they lift the World Cup last year, but, in Barcelona and Real Madrid, they have two of the finest football clubs in the world.

Naturally, the rivalry between these two foot-balling giants is intense, and every time that they meet, both teams’ reputations are subject to immense pressure, not only from their respective, loyal fan bases, but from the world’s media too.

Both sides play in the La Liga, the Spanish premier league. When these two great football colossi meet, (at least twice per year in league competition, and more if they play each other in any of the European trophy fixtures), the name that is given to the games, (yes they actually have a special name for this particular football fixture), is «El Clasico» – The Classic.

Since these two clubs first began playing against each other back in 1902, Real Madrid have a light edge, with a total of 74 wins over their old rivals, as opposed to Barcelona’s 73.

The origin of their great rivalry is actually politically charged. Barcelona FC, more affectionately known as Barca, (correct pronunciation «Barsa»), are the champions of the Catalonian region and its peoples, whereas Real Madrid many years ago were associated with Franco’s fascist regime. This clash between the people versus the establishment was the foundation for what is one of the fiercest fought sporting rivalries in the world today.

There is one amazing story that recounts the fortunes of one Alfredo di Stefano, now a figure of legend for both clubs. His arrival in Spain from Argentina’s Deportivo Los Millonarios was amid fierce competition between Real and Barca who were both desperate to sign the player. In the following confusion over the bitter argument of who he would play for, it was decided the he would play for Real one year, and Barca the next.

The intense confrontation between the two clubs is likened to a reenactment of the Spanish Civil War, a situation heightened recently when only last Wednesday Real coach Jose Mourinho poked his finger in the eye of Barca’s assistant coach Tito Vianova following earlier incidents on the field of play. It is feared by many that the bad feeling between the two clubs may spill over into the national team side which currently boats nine Barca players in its squad.

But all rivalries aside, these two great clubs have provided some marvelous spectacles of scintillating football in recent years although it is an undeniable fact that Barcelona FC are very much in the ascendancy right now. Their explosive style of football is hard for any other club to keep up with, and they have humbled many other great world football clubs as they did with Manchester United when they beat them in last season’s European Cup final.

Barcelona FC are currently THE club to be reckoned with. In recent head to head meetings with Real Madrid Barca have won 6 out of the last 10 games outright, with Real only managing 2 wins; the other games being drawn. Barcelona chalked up their longest unbeaten run in La Liga in the last season with 28 matches undefeated, and with nine of their current team in the international team squad, they are truly a force to be reckoned with. Real Madrid eat your hearts out!

As long as there have been sport teams, there have been rivalries. Whether it’s the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox or the Cincinnati Bengals and the Cleveland Browns, the two rival teams inevitably end up meeting again and again, forming an ongoing heated rivalry that delights fans of the sport. One such rivalry is between Spanish football teams FC Barcelona and Real Madrid.

FC Barcelona (also known as Barça by its fans) and Real Madrid are two of the earliest Spanish football teams, both forming in the 1890s. From the start, the two teams were seen as representatives of two rival regions of Spain, the ancient kingdoms of Castile and Catalonia. Both teams were part of La Liga, a Spanish football league and a rivalry that went far beyond football quickly took root.

It was during and after the Spanish Civil War that the rivalry took on more political overtones. Dictator Francisco Franco banned all peripheral languages, such as Catalan, the language of Barcelona. Catalonia had long been associated with more progressive fashions and political ideas, such as democracy-which was the diametric opposite of Franco’s dictatorial regime. FC Barcelona suffered as a result of being a part of the Catalonian culture. Real Madrid, on the other hand, was seen by many Spaniards (and Catalonians in particular) as the «establishment» club. Though Franco seemed to favor Real Madrid, members of both teams suffered under his regime.

The fierce rivalry continued into the 1950s when both clubs sought to sign Alfredo Di Stefano to play for them. Real Madrid eventually won out and Alfredo Di Stefano went on to lead them to many wins. FC Barcelona and Real Madrid went head-to-head twice at the European Cup in the 1960s, with Real Madrid winning one and FC Barcelona winning the other. The two teams clashed once again over a player in 2000 when Luis Figo left FC Barcelona and signed with Real Madrid. FC Barcelona and Real Madrid competed against each other again in the UEFA Champions League semi-final in 2002, with Real Madrid getting the win. The Spanish media dubbed the match «The Match of the Century».

In the mid-2000s, the rivalry ascended to further heights when it acquired its own name, El Clasico. The term El Clasico was traditionally assigned to any South American football rivalry, but the growth of football in the Americas coupled with these two great teams’ rivalry led to the coining of the term as applied to FC Barcelona and Real Madrid. This was mostly a marketing scheme communicated via GolTV, an all-football satellite channel, but the term has been embraced by fans worldwide.

El Clasico shows no signs of slowing. To this very day, the two teams inevitably seek each other out on the field to find out who is the best team in Spain. Sometimes FC Barcelona wins and sometimes Real Madrid wins, but ultimately football fans worldwide are the ones who win whenever these two giants meet on the field.