BARCA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!WOOOOOOOOOOOEEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!
FC Barcelona was born as a club on 22th of October 1899, and the club gradually grew from 1899-1922. As both the fans and non-fans know, Barcelona is a Spanish professional football\soccer team, and might I add, one of the best. FC Barcelona is said to be the ''most successful club in Spanish football" and "one of the most successful clubs in European football". (Wikipedia)
Having titles such as La Liga title, Spanish Cups, Spanish Super Cups, League Cups, and UEFA competitions, FC Barcelona became the world's second richest football club. They would have been first, if it were not for their arch enemy, Real Madrid. (Wikipedia)
Real Madrid is also a Spanish professional football\soccer team, and do not get me wrong they are a very good team, but I just think (as a FC Barcelona fan, things might become a little subjective) that FC Barcelona is much better. As is said, there are major changes taking place all over the world, and maybe one of them will be that FC Barcelona will rise much higher than Real Madrid, since they have already passed Chelsea.
What I never knew was that the history of Spain had quite an impact on the club.
Bill Shankly,the late Liverpool coach once said that, "Some people think football is a matter of life and death. I assure you it's much more serious than that." William Wilkes then states’ ‘Nowhere, does Shankly's statement have more resonance than in Barcelona, Spain." Here is why:
Francisco Franco was the leader of the group known as the Nationalists during the Spanish Civil War. Franco and the military participated in a coup against the Republican government. The coup failed but it caused a civil war. This civil war lasted from 1936 to 1939.It was a brutal war and thousands died.
At that time Barcelona was the capital city of Catalonia' four provinces, Catalonia is one of the Kingdoms of Spain's seventeen autonomous communities. Barcelona was the biggest center of resistance to the fascist Nationalists who were trying to take power which they eventually did. This event had consequences for Club Barcelona, who had to change its Catalan name from FC Barcelona to CF Barcelona.
There were more terrible acts. Josep Garriga, who was Barcelona's left-wing president, was killed by the fascist's soldiers. The Nationalists also dropped a bomb on Barcelona's social club.
Barcelona was in a critical state, and for many years they were left behind Real Madrid, the Nationalist’s own club. Of course the new Fascist government then favored Madrid over Barcelona, and a lot of opportunities were lost to Real Madrid.
Fortunately for Barcelona in 1974, Franco died and the nationalist power began slipping away. Barcelona could breathe again. The first thing they did was change the name back to FC Barcelona, and Johan Cruyff, who is considered one of the best European football players, joined FC Barcelona and brought back the spirit and the exciting, graceful style of football.
This is FC Barcelona's history and look where they're now!!" For FC Barcelona, football is not just a matter of life and death, it's about history, resistance and freedom.", and this is shown in the way they are playing now. They made it, and now to keep going!!!!
Reann Kersenhout
