Club Profile - Catalan Giants Barcelona
FC Barcelona, known as either Barcelona or simply Barca, tops the UEFA rankings for Clubs in Europe for the upcoming 2010-11 football season. Barcelona is a Spanish football club, hailing from the separatist region of Catalonia. Barca is known throughout
Europe for their slick, attacking brand of football which has become their trademark over the years.
Barcelona was established in 1899 and since then has grown to become one of the biggest football clubs in the world. Home colours of blue and claret have become synonymous with Barca, a club that has become home to some of the finest football players of
all time. Some greats who have put on the famous jersey of Barcelona over the years include Johan Cryuff, Diego Maradonna, Ronaldo, Luis Figo, Rivaldo, Ronaldinho and Romario.
Barcelona is currently managed by Josep 'Pep' Guardiola who is a former Barca player. He played for Barca for the majority of his career, making the defensive midfield role his own. It is a mark of the Barca academy, that they not only produce great players
but great coaches as well. And indeed, Guardiola has been one of the most successful managers that Barca has had in its illustrious history. In his very first season as coach, Pep Guardiola led his team to an astonishing treble, winning the La Liga crown,
Copa del ray (Domestic Cup in Spain) and arguably the biggest prize in European club football, the UEFA Champions league. Barcelona became the first Spanish club to win all three titles in one season. The following season Barcelona picked up the Spanish Super
Cup, UEFA Super Cup and World Club Cup – rounding up the year with an amazing six trophies. History was made and it was fitting that a man who has the club running through his veins was responsible.
Last year however, Barcelona was unable to repeat this feat, losing out to Sevilla in the Copa del Rey, and Inter Milan in the Champions league. Barcelona did still manage to set another record last season, as they accumulated the highest ever points total
in the Spanish La Liga (99 Points); beating rivals Real Madrid to retain the La Liga crown.
The Barcelona team consists of many star players at the moment, and none come bigger than the Argentinean wonderkid, Lionel Messi. Messi scored 47 goals in 53 appearances for his team last year, making him the highest goal-scorer in Europe and one of the
most deadly forwards of all time. Barcalona is no one-man team though. Andreas Iniesta and Xavi, two local boys who were brought up through the club's academy, pull the strings in midfield ahead of another Barca star in-the-making, Sergio Busquets who holds
the midfield. At the back, Club Captain Carlos Puyol plays in central defence with Gerrad Pique. Both centre-back's are also academy products, something which sets Barcelona apart from other European heavyweights such as Real Madrid and Chelsea who have relied
on imports from other clubs to achieve success.
Barcelona’s influence on Spanish football can be judged from the fact that more than half of the Spanish national team, that won the World Cup in South Africa this year, consisted of players from the Catalonian side.
Barcelona currently trail league leaders and fierce rivals Real Madrid by a single point. The Catalans are fighting to retain their crown as the best side in Spanish football. They do face formidable opposition from Madrid this season, given that they have
one of the most successful managers in club footballs recent history, Jose Mourinho.
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