Futbol Club Barcelona (Catalan pronunciation: [fubˈbɔɫ ˈkɫub bərsəˈɫonə] (
listen)), also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
listen)), also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
Founded in 1899 by a group of Swiss, English and Catalan footballers led byJoan Gamper, the club has become a symbol of Catalan culture andCatalanism, hence the motto "Més que un club" (More than a club). The official Barcelona anthem is the "Cant del Barça" written by Jaume Picas and Josep Maria Espinàs.Unlike many other football clubs, the supportersown and operate Barcelona. It is the world's second-richest football club in terms of revenue, with an annual turnover of €483 million and the third most valuable, worth €2.6billion. The club has a long-standing rivalry with Real Madrid; matches between the two teams are referred to as "El Clásico".
They are the current Copa del Rey champions and have won 21 La Liga, 26Copa del Rey, 10 Supercopa de España, 3 Copa Eva Duarte and 2 Copa de la Liga trophies, as well as being the record holder for the latter four competitions. In international club football Barcelona have won four UEFA Champions League, a record four UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, four UEFA Super Cup, a record three Inter-Cities Fairs Cup and a record two FIFA Club World Cup trophies.
Barcelona is also the only European club to have played continental football every season since 1955, and one of three clubs never to have been relegated from La Liga, along with Athletic Bilbao and Real Madrid. In 2009, Barcelona became the first Spanish club to win the treble consisting of La Liga, Copa del Rey, and the Champions League. That same year, it also became the first football club ever to win six out of six competitions in a single year, thus completing the sextuple, comprising the aforementioned treble and the Spanish Super Cup, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup.
