Chapter 117: Team History
1 First Peak (1919-1930)
Joseph Samitier
Joseph Samitier
In 1919, legendary goalkeeper Ricardo Zamora joined Barcelona with goalscorer Joseph Samitier.
On 7 and 8 December 1924, Barça celebrated its 25th anniversary, and by that time the club had 12,207 members.
On June 14, 1925, during the dictatorship of the Spanish Rivera, the government ordered the home stadium to be closed for 6 months, which was later reduced to 3 months, due to Barcelona fans booing the Spanish national anthem during a Barcelona home game.
In 1926, the club's directors announced that FC Barcelona would be operated in the manner of a professional football club, and the club transitioned to professional football.
In the 1928 Spanish Cup, in the final of Santander, Barcelona finally defeated Real Sociedad 3-1 after drawing the first two legs.
La Liga was founded in 1929 with 10 teams participating, and Barcelona won the first La Liga title with 11 wins, 3 draws and 4 losses with 25 points (2 points for winning at that time) and beating Real Madrid with 23 points.
On July 30, 1930, Gamble committed suicide due to depression, which was caused by the stress of personal and financial problems.
Between 1919 and 1930, Barcelona won 10 Catalan titles, 5 Spanish championships and 1 La Liga title.
Nirvana Rebirth (1930-1949)
Gamble's death
Gamble's death
On July 30, 1930, Gamble, one of the founders of Barcelona, was confirmed to have committed suicide due to personal factors and died at the age of 52
The new club charter adopted in May 1932 redefined the organization. According to its first chapter, Barça is "an association of culture and athletics". In October, the Cultural Committee was established to organize activities for its members.
On July 30, 1930, Gamble committed suicide due to depression, which was caused by the stress of personal and financial problems.
Between 1919 and 1930, Barcelona won 10 Catalan titles, 5 Spanish championships and 1 La Liga title.
Nirvana Rebirth (1930-1949)
Gamble's death
Gamble's death
In July 1935, the new president, Josef Sunor, articulated his political philosophy based on the Catalan nation. Using the famous phrase "Athletics and Citizenship", he emphasized the connection between society and athletics.
On July 30, 1930, Gamble, one of the founders of Barcelona, was confirmed to have committed suicide due to personal factors and died at the age of 52
The new club charter adopted in May 1932 redefined the organization. According to its first chapter, Barça is "an association of culture and athletics". In October, the Cultural Committee was established to organize activities for its members.
In July 1935, the new president, Josef Sunor, articulated his political philosophy based on the Catalan nation. Using the famous phrase "Athletics and Citizenship", he emphasized the connection between society and athletics.
When the Spanish Civil War broke out in 1937, Josep Sonor, the president of Barcelona who remained in Spain, was shot by order of the rebel leader Francisco Franco. The Barcelona players were on exhibition tours in Mexico and the United States before they were shot.
In the 1936/37 season, the Catalan Football Federation hosted a tournament in which six Catalan teams and four Valencian teams participated, which was used to replace the league that had been cancelled due to the war, and Barcelona became the champions of the Mediterranean League. In order to escape the war, but also to seek funds to improve the club's dire financial situation, Barça went to Mexico and the United States. Some players never even returned to Barca. In the summer of 1937, the team was hosted by Mexico as ambassadors of democracy and freedom.
In 1944, Joseph Samitier became the team's manager
In 1944, Joseph Samitier became the team's manager
On May 16, 1938, Francisco Franco's army dropped bombs on Barcelona's social clubs during their attack on Barcelona, causing great damage. A few months later, Barcelona was occupied by Franco's army. FC Barcelona, a symbol of Catalanism, was ordered to reduce its membership to 3,486 and faced a huge existential problem.
On June 29, 1939, the Les Corts stadium was officially reopened to host a tournament. The competition was presided over by a large group of military men and those in power. In a speech before the match, the club declared that it was no longer a vehicle for anti-Spanish sentiment, but that it wanted to become the new idol of Spanish Athletic under the new regime.
In March 1940, Enrique Pinheiro, an official of Franco's government, was appointed president of Barcelona, and the club's name was changed from the more British name FutbolClubBarcelona to the Spanish-style Club de FutbolBarcelona (which was reverted to its original name in 1973), and the four red bars on the Catalan flag were reduced to two until 1949.
In the 1943 match against Real Madrid, the Barcelona players were threatened with death by the referee and the police. Barcelona president Pinheiro was a fascist, but he eventually got tired of his club being treated like this by the Madrid government and resigned.
In 1944, Samitier took charge of Barcelona, winning the 1944/45 Spanish league title, the club's first league title since 1929.
Barcelona won the league in 1944/45, 1947/48, 1948/49 and the Latin Cup in 1949. Barcelona celebrated the club's 50th anniversary in 1949 with 24,893 members, 21 Catalan Cups, 9 Spanish Cups and 4 league titles.
Five Crowns Dynasty (1950-1968)
60's squad lineup
60's squad lineup
Kubala joined Barcelona in June 1950. The club won the 1951/52, 1952/53 league titles under Ferdinand Dau?ík and Kubala, as well as the Spanish Cup in 1951/953. In the 1951/52 season, Barcelona won the league, the Spanish Cup, the Latin Cup, the Martin Cup and the Rossi Cup five times under the leadership of Barossa, Cesar, Kubala, Moreno and Mancohen. [9]
In 1953, the club won La Liga and the Generalissimo Cup. In the same year, Barcelona reached an agreement with River Plate to sign Di Stefano, who would take ownership of the player. At the same time, Real Madrid entered into talks with the club Milenalio that Di Stéfano was playing for at the time. With the support of Franco, a strange result was born, with Di Stefano being prescribed to play for both clubs in turn. Barcelona was unhappy with the decision and voluntarily dropped the player. Kubala's Barcelona and Di Stefano's Real Madrid have been battling for years for dominance of Spanish football.
Accompanied by Kuba
After the Barcelona players scored in the 60s
After the Barcelona players scored in the 60s
With the departures of La Maletz, Tygata and Sebo, Barça's five-crown dynasty came to an end.
With the opening of the newly built Camp Nou Stadium on 24 September 1957, Barcelona officially ushered in a new era.