FC Barcelona is a household name for football fans spread all over the world. The club boasts some of the most promising and budding players in world football. However, there is more to the club than the excellent skills displayed by its players. Here are some interesting and fun ones. Data of the FC Barcelona that will surely surprise your followers.
Facts about the 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 members of the club. It was never a mere football club but also a political symbol. The club rose as a symbol against the dictatorships of Rivera and Franco and has always had a strong link with 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 due to its Catalan roots. The club was prohibited from using the Catalan language during the Franco dictatorship. However, over the years, it has become the norm that FC Barcelona players have to know the Catalan language, with some exceptions such as Lionel Messi.
Club Achievement Facts: The club has been ranked by Forbes as the second most valuable club in the world and has proven to be one of the most popular clubs in Europe. It is also the club with the highest number of Ballon d’Or winners, with 11 Barcelona players having won it. Lionel Messi, one of Barça’s most popular players, has won the Ballon d’Or five times. The club had also defeated its closest rival, Real Madrid FC, in its first official match with a score of 6-1.
FC Barcelona Fun Facts:
This club is also not lacking in fun and playful things. Very few people know that FC Barcelona fans are known as “ass” in the Catalan language.
· Although it is commonly thought that, unlike other Barça players, Lionel Messi does not speak Catalan, he was heard to address the crowd in this language when drunk after a Barça victory!
The Camp Nou stadium is one of the largest stadiums in Europe, but the locals rarely attend the matches. This is probably due to the high ticket prices due to its international fame.
· FC Barcelona and Real Madrid have also had a long history of political rivalry, the latter being supported by Franco’s political power and the former against his dictatorship.
This club has invented its own style of play which is known as tiki-taka or The Total Football Philosophy. Johan Cruyff is the man behind this famous style of football game and the strategy has given the club many victories.
· For a long time, FC Barcelona was against corporate advertising but the policy was finally lifted and they collaborated with UNICEF for the first time in 2006.
