Futbol Club Barcelona, locally known as Barça

Futbol Club Barcelona, locally known as Barça, is a regarded as Catalonia's own football club. The team was founded by a group of Spanish, Swiss & English in 1899 and has become a Catalan institution, with the motto "Més que un club", meaning "More than a club". It is one of only three clubs never to have been relegated from La Liga and is the most successful club in Spanish football along with Real Madrid
Unlike most football clubs, the fans of Barça own and operate the club, which has become the world's second richest football club (€365m) in terms of revenue..

FC Barcelona have never worn corporate advertising on their shirts. In July 2006 the club announced a five year agreement with UNICEF, which includes wearing the UNICEF logo. The agreement commits the club to donate €1.5 million per year to UNICEF via the FC Barcelona Foundation.

Their record is unsurpassed: Up to 2010 they won 20 La Liga titles, 25 Spanish Cups, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 4 Eva Duarte Cups and 2 League Cups. They are also one of the most successful clubs in Europe, having won 14 major trophies, including 10 UEFA competitions, 3 UEFA Champions League titles, 4 UEFA Cup Winners' Cups, 3 Inter-Cities Fairs Cups 3 UEFA Super Cups and 1 FIFA Club World Cup. They are also the only European side to have played continental football every season since its inception in 1955. In 2009, Barcelona became the first club in Spain to win the treble of La Liga, Copa del Rey and Champions League. FC Barcelona also became the first football team ever to win six out of six competitions in a single year thus completing the sextuple, comprising the 2008–09 La Liga, 2008–09 Copa del Rey, 2009 Supercopa de España, 2008–09 UEFA Champions League, 2009 UEFA Super Cup and 2009 FIFA Club World Cup.

El Clásico is the fierce rivalry between Barça and Real Madrid The two clubs are seen as representing the two rival regions in Spain: Catalonia and Castile. During the Franco dictatorship between 1939 and 1975, all regional cultures were suppressed, with only Castilian allowed to be spoken in Spanish territory.

Being a member of the clandestine anti-Franco movement was dangerous, so Catalans showed their desire for independence by joining Barça. It became 'more than a club' (Més que un Club) and demonstrated their independent Catalan identity. Real Madrid was seen as representing the sovereign oppression. However Barça supporters still suffered at the hands of Franco supporters during the Spanish Civil War.

Even non-football-loving Catalans are fiercely proud of "their" FC Barcelona.

Visit the official FC Barcelona website