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Founder of the Club Joan Gamper was the driving force behind FC Barcelona in its first 25 years of existence

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1909-19. Consolidation at Carrer Indústria

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The Club’s growth as a social entity allowed it to create its first home ground with a stand

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During the 1920s, football became a sport of the masses. FC Barcelona continued to attract huge amounts of support and was viewed as a dream team, comprising star players that became the first Barça idols, such as Samitier, Alcántara, Zamora, Sagi, Piera and Sancho.

This legendary team saw a growth of its fan base, which "prompted" the construction of the football ground at Les Corts, in 1922; this was the first great Barça stadium. By 1923, the Club had in excess of 10,000 members.

Matches played against Barcelona's other team, Espanyol, Barça's biggest rival at that time, were always met with great expectation from devoted football fans, who followed the team to all its matches. The team enjoyed many years of success at the Les Corts football ground.

ZAMORA THE FIRST GREAT BARÇA KEEPER

Ricardo Zamora, nicknamed 'el Diví' (the Divine one), left a great impression despite only playing three seasons as a goalkeeper and he is considered one of the greatest in the position in the Club's history. He made his debut alongside Samitier in 1919 and both players mark a before and after in the sporting story of FC Barcelona.

JOSEP SAMITIER BURSTS ON TO THE SCENE

Samitier was known by the nickname of "home llagosta" (lobster man) because of his acrobatics on the field and was the first major idol of Catalan football. He became a society figure and was often seen alongside artists like Carlos Gardel and Maurice Chevalier.

STADIUM AT LES CORTS, FIRST OWN GROUND

The stadium at Les Corts, opened on 20 May 1922, was the scene of the Club first expansion and golden age. It was one of the best football grounds in Europe at that time. It was designed by Santiago Mestres and Josep Alemany, and cost a total of 991,984.05 pesetas. It had an initial capacity of 22,000 spectators and successive enlargements tripled this capacity to 60,000. The Les Corts football grounds witnessed three decades of hope and glory, but also saw less successful periods.

25TH ANNIVERSARY IN 1924

FC Barcelona celebrated its 25th anniversary on 7 and 8 December 1924, with two matches against Real Unión de Irun at Les Corts football ground. The occasion was also marked by the "III Challenge Pere Prat" race, in addition to an athletics convention with Spanish and French representatives. At that time the Club had 12,207 members.

CUP TRIUMPH IN 1928, THE MOST CELEBRATED TITLE

The most significant victory of the decade was the Spanish Championship (Copa del Rey) final in 1928. At the final, which took place in Santander, Barça beat Real Sociedad (3-1), after the first two matches ended in a draw. The goalkeeper, Plattkó, suffered serious injuries during the match and was the day's hero and his performance was commemorated in a famous poem by Rafael Alberti. For the first time ever, Barça's victory was broadcast on the radio and the newspapers published special editions.

THE FIRST LEAGUE TITLE

On February 12 1929, a new competition began: the League. In only a few years, this competition would become the championship par excellence of Spanish football. It lasted four and a half months and FC Barcelona was the first champion with twenty-five points, two more than Real Madrid, which finished in second place. Manuel Parera had the honour of being the team's first goalscorer in the Spanish League. However, this victory was not met with great enthusiasm at the time, as football fans thought that the League was an insignificant competition. In any case, the Club's record in that golden decade was extraordinary with eight Catalan Championships, five Spanish Championships and one league title.

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The team begins to collect silverware and the players begin to earn a name for themselves

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FC Barcelona was committed to social, political and cultural reform, initiated by the Republican Catalan government in 1931. The official Club newsletter in October 1932 made the Club's position clear: "Our club's popularity undeniably includes elements that are not related to sport."

At the beginning of the Civil War in 1936 and faced wtih the threat of FC Barcelona being subsumed by elements of the anarchist forces, the Club employees made an important committee decision that ultimately saved the organisation. The committee demonstrated its firm resolve not to break away from its pre-war leadership.

In fact, in November 1937, once the threat of disappearance had abated, the committee resigned and a new Board of Directors was named under the presidency of Francese Xavier Casals.

The 1930s were marked by political instability and general crisis, which inevitably took its toll on FC Barcelona. During this decade, the Club endured many cataclysmic events, which included its founder's death, the Second Spanish Republic, the Spanish Civil War and the assassination of its president, Josep Suñol. In summary, it was a period characterised by uncertainty, which saw a reduction in membership and the cancellation of some players' contracts.

GOODBYE TO JOAN GAMPER

On 30 July 1930, Barça received the worst news it had ever had: Joan Gamper had committed suicide due to personal problems. The Club's founder - a dynamic businessman and sportsman, responsible for the creation and development of a unique football club - had died, aged only 52. The demise of FC Barcelona's founder was a bad omen for the years to follow.

BARÇA DURING THE REPUBLIC

During the 1930s, society showed more interest in the political meetings than it did in football matches. Barça entered a period of history characterised by its commitment to freedom, democracy and Catalan identity. The new Club statutes, approved in May 1932, redefined the organisation. According to its first article, FC Barcelona was "a cultural and sporting association". October saw the creation of the Cultural Committee, which promoted activities for members.

In July 1935, the new president Josep Suñol i Garriga made it clear that he believed in political ideals based on Catalan nationalism. Using the motto "Sport and Citizenship", he emphasised the link between society and sport at FC Barcelona.

LIMITED SUCCESS

Football took second place to political and social events at the time and attendances at the majority of games at Les Corts suffered as a result. The team was not the one that had dazzled years previously and the reality was that FC Barcelona failed to win a single League Championship or Copa in that time. That had to make do with victories in the Catalan Championship.

With Suñol as president, the Club's economy underwent a slight improvement and Barça embarked upon a new sporting policy with the purchase of promising players. The war, however, was a massive setback to the team's seemingly brighter future.

TRAGIC DEATH OF SUÑOL

On 6 August 1936, Josep Suñol was assassinated near Madrid by Francoist military forces. As an MP for the ERC party in the Cortes de Madrid, Suñol had driven from Valencia where he had been as an envoy on behalf of the president of the Catalan Parliament, Joan Casanovas. Josep Suñol was acting as a political figure and not atttempting to sign any player.

At one of the most difficult times ever experienced by Catalonia and Spain, the Club was without a president and in the midst of a revolution.

THE MEDITERRANEAN LEAGUE IS BARÇA'S

During the 1936/37 season, the Catalan Football Federation hosted a tournament in which six Catalan and four Valencian teams played. The competition was held instead of the League tournament, which had been cancelled because of the war and FC Barcelona became the Mediterranean League champion.

The Barça title, however, has been hold since 1939 as the victory for the Francoist dictatorship led to the decree to abolish the championship and to this the situation has not been put right.

TOUR OF SALVATION IN THE AMERICAS

To escape a country in war and at the same time generate much needed income for the Club, Barça undertook in 1937 a tour of the Americas, including Mexico and the USA. Some players would not return to Barcelona. The team was received in Mexico as an authentic ambassador for democracy and freedom. Aside from the prestige involved in defending republican values, the Club also raised 461,799,10 pesetas, a figure that was transferred to a bank in Paris in October of 1937. Later on, the money was used to wipe clean the Club's long-standing debts and to serve as a financial basis to get the organisation up and running again following the end of the Civil War and the victory for the fascist forces in 1939.

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The decade of the 1930s was marked by political instability and crisis in general that could not fail to affect FC Barcelona

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The toughest moments experienced by FC Barcelona football club were the initial post-war years. The Club reached a point where it almost ceased to exist. Subject to relentless repression and reprisals by the authorities, the identity of the organisation was changed completely.

The purges also affected the players; anyone who had gone on the tour to Mexico and the United States was suspended for two years. Many of the players were exiled abroad. The Club's coat of arms and name were changed because they were not deemed to be sufficiently Spanish, and the Club's presidents were scrupulously selected by the sports authorities until 1946.

The team formation in subsequent years, however, led to more promising title victories in the 1950s. For many people, Barça's matches at Les Corts represented an oasis of freedom during years of fear, misery and repression.

LIFE AFTER THE CIVIL WAR

After the war, FC Barcelona experienced terrible times of social, economic and sporting hardships. The team did not have enough players and a bomb dropped by fascist air forces had destroyed the Club's headquarters. It was time to start anew. The new political dictatorship distrusted Barça, viewing it as an organisation that was committed to the Republican cause and Catalan nationalism.

The Les Corts grounds were officially reopened for a match on 29 June 1939. The match was presided over by various military and civil authorities. Speeches were given proclaiming that the Club would cease to be a vehicle for anti-Spanish sentiment and would become a Spanish sports icon under the new regime.

THE ARRIVAL OF CÉSAR

With the upheaval of the war over, the team was strengthened by two player who would be pivotal in the coming years: César Rodríguez and Mariano Martín. César was one of the great goalscorers in Barça's long history. He made 456 appearances for the team and scored 304 goals. He made himself famous for his diving headers from corners, many of which ended up in the back of the net. Some years later, the team was bolstered by the arrival of Estanislau Basora, one of the best wingers ever at Barça and Antoni Ramallets, for many the best goalkeeper in the Club's history.

THE RETURN OF SAMITIER

Josep Samitier's contribution to Barça was not limited to his outstanding performance as a player. In 1944, he began an important stage as team manager. With Samitier in charge, FC Barcelona won the 1944-45 Spanish League. It had not won the title since 1929.

FIRST EUROPEAN TITLE

The 1948-49 season saw Barça win the Latin Cup, their first ever European title. The competition was organised by FIFA and the precursor to the European Cup. Finalist teams from France, Italy, Portugal and Spain played for the Cup. In 1949 the participating teams were Stade de Reims, Torino and Sporting Clube de Portugal. FC Barcelona beat Sporting in the final with a 2-1 victory.

50TH ANNIVERSARY IN 1949

The Club's 50th anniversary coincided with a time of great success, and the Club's awareness that it had recovered from the Civil War. At this time, FC Barcelona underwent a period of growth, and had a total membership of 24,893. The Club's foundation was commemorated with a series of events and a three-way football tournament, between Barça, Boldklub from Denmark and Palmeiras from Brazil. Barça won the tournament.

Taking full advantage of this anniversary celebration and thanks to an intiative from member Salvador Grau Mora, the Club reinstated the four stripes of the Catalan flag that it had been forced to remove from its coat of arms. This was a clear demonstration of its desire to recover its identity, despite the limitations imposed by the existing circumstances. The massive turnout of Barça followers at the celebratory events that took place at Les Corts made it clear that the Club had outgrown the legendary stadium.

BACK TO BACK LEAGUE TITLES

The Uruguayan Enrique Fernández, who had played for Barça before the war, managed the team for three seasons, which resulted in two consecutive Spanish League titles in 1948 and 1949. Fernández used tactics based on attack, which were to the liking of Barça fans.

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Harsh repression and reprisals carried out by the civilian and military authorities in the post-Civil War years helped undermine the Club's very essence

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During the 1950s, the Club's membership increased considerably thanks to the 'Kubala factor' and the construction of a new stadium that would be twice the capacity of the old ground at Les Corts. The 26,300 members in 1950 rose to 52,791 by 1961, an increase of just over 100%.

Ladislao Kubala's arrival played a significant role in Barça's successes, and he became an idol for Barça fans. The team's victories and the legendary Kubala were key factors in gaining fan loyalty. Barça became increasingly important in Catalan society.

The Club needed a bigger stadium. In 1953, Miró-Sans's electoral campaign slogan "We need, we want and we will have a new grounds" was decisive in his becoming the new president of Barça. The construction of the Camp Nou was an affirmation of the organisation's drive towards modernisation.

KUBALA THE HERO OF THE DECADE

Josep Samitier, the Club's technical secretary, brought Kubala to Barcelona. He was a player that would change the history of Barça and who became legendary amongst the Club's fans. The Hungarian genius introduced new football techniques that had not been seen before, such as curling the ball. The team's spectacular football allowed them to dominate Spanish football and also shine in Europe.

THE BARÇA OF THE 'FIVE CUPS'

From 1950 to 1953 the Club dominated. Barça's sensational line-up during the 1951/52 season led it to win five different trophies: the League, the Spanish Cup, the Latin Cup, the Copa Eva Duarte and the Copa Martini Rossi. The Five cup team had a legendary forward line. This was his team: Ramallets, Seguer, Biosca, Segarra, Gonzalvo III, Basora, César, Kubala, Moreno and Manchón.

THE DI STEFANO CASE

In 1953, FC Barcelona signed Di Stéfano after reaching an agreement with River Plate, the club that owned the rights to the player. At the same time, Real Madrid carried out negotiations with Millonarios, the team that Di Stéfano was playing for then. A strange federative manoeuvre with Francoist backing stipulated that Di Stéfano should play alternate seasons with each club. Barça went against the verdict and relinquished the player. Kubala's Barça and Di Stéfano's Madrid competed for many years for the domination of national football.

THE SIGNING OF LUIS SUÁREZ

The arrival of Luis Suárez in 1954 would further strengthen one of the best teams in history. He was an exceptional player who brought moments of great joy to the Club. In 1960, as a Barça player, Luis Suárez won the Ballon d'Or. To this day, he remains the only Spanish player to have won the award.

OPENING OF CAMP NOU

The Camp Nou building works began in 1955 and were completed two years later. The grounds were inaugurated during the presidency of Francesc Miró-Sans, on 24 September 1957, on the day of La Mercè, Barcelona's patron saint. Different celebratory acts took place at the inauguration ceremony, which included a match against a selection of players from Warsaw. Barça enjoyed its first victory in the stadium, 4-2. Paraguayan striker Eulogio Martínez scored the first goal.

The stadium had an initial capacity of 99,053 spectators. The total cost of the Camp Nou was 288,088,143 pesetas. Today, Camp Nou is the stadium with the largest capacity in Europe, accommodating 99,354 spectators.

HELENIO HERRERA'S ARRIVAL

Helenio Herrera's arrival at Barça in 1958 meant that the understanding of football changed in a revolutionary way. Historic utterances such as "we'll win without getting off the coach" and "with ten our team plays better than with eleven", led the team to become a renewed formidable force.

Herrera, known as 'HH', put together an extraordinary team made up of foreign and Catalan talent. The team's newest idols were once again Hungarian: Sandor Kocsis and Zoltan Czibor played alongside Eulogio Martínez and Evaristo. The team also included local players like Gensana, Gràcia, Vergés, Tejada, Olivella and Segarra. That formidable line up won the league title in successive seasons as well as a Copa del Rey and a Fairs Cup.

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The Club doubles its membership and builds Camp Nou, opened on 24 September 1957 under the presidency of Francesc Miró-Sans

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During the 1960s, FC Barcelona saw a relentless increase in membership numbers. Paradoxically, this did not go hand in hand with sporting success. At the same time, Catalonia received a large number of migrants and it was in this context that Barça became an important mechanism for integration in Catalan society.

Irregular sporting success and economic austerity, partly due to the construction of the Camp Nou, meant that the Club was unable to sign big players; this was reflected in Barça's results.

GREAT SOCIAL GROWTH

During the 1960s, Catalonia's population grew by more than 1,200,000 inhabitants. This was largely due to waves of migration from the south of Spain. Many people were attracted to Barça because of its democratic spirit, its inter-class consciousness and its overtly anti-centralist stance. The identification of Barça with Catalonia was no longer limited to members and fans born in the Principality. Barça consolidated its role as a catalyst for social integration. This had happened previously in the 1920s when people from Valencia, Murcia and Aragón migrated to Catalonia, and it would happen again at the end of the 20th century, when immigrants would arrive from other continents.

TV BOOM

In the 1960s, football was broadcast on television for the first time. The first game in Catalonia was broadcast in 1959. Because televisions were so expensive, the first Barça matches broadcast on television were watched by crowds of people standing outside shops that sold televisions, or in bars and restaurants throughout Catalonia.

GOODBYE TO THE GOLDEN GENERATION

The "curse of the square goalposts" in Berne proved decisive in Barça's failure to win the 1961 European Cup Final; this marked the beginning of an unsuccessful period of sporting history for the Club. The Five Cup era, and the time of Helenio Herrera, had come to a definitive end. At the end of the season, László Kubala's departure made it even more obvious that Barça's glory had come to an end. That Antoni Ramallets, the great goalkeeper, left the Club, followed by Tejada and Czibor, was further evidence of Barça's decline. When Segarra left in 1964, this marked the end of the golden generation.

'MORE THAN A CLUB' FOR THE FIRST TIME

The incoming Barça president Narcís de Carreras, during his acceptance speech on 17 January 1968, stated "Barcelona is something more than a football club". A short time later, this gave rise to the motto "Barça is more than a club". His son Lluís remembered that his father had a written copy of his speech - something he did not normally do - and that this famous saying had been written conscientiously. Although it was impossible that the speaker could imagine the impact his words would have, and still have today, it is clear that he was aware they meant something special.

THE DEATH OF JULIO CÉSAR BENÍTEZ

The sudden death of the footballer Julio César Benítez, aged 27, on 6 April 1968 was one of the saddest days ever for Barça fans. His death was a hard blow for both his team mates and the fans, at a time when Barça was not performing well. It happened on the day before a Barça-Madrid match, which was cancelled. Thousands of people came to pay their last respects to Benítez as he lay in state at the Camp Nou. Mourners included Barça fans, as well as supporters of other teams.

THE 'FINAL OF THE BOTTLES'

The Spanish Cup final, which took place at the Santiago Bernabéu against Real Madrid, has gone down in history as "the bottle final". This name came about due to an incident that occurred only minutes from the end of the match, when spectators threw glass bottles at Barça players. Despite the hostile atmosphere, Barça beat Madrid 0-1 in a heroic victory.

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The Club increases its membership despite the relative lack of success in the 1960s

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The possibility of signing foreign players once more meant that the dream of signing Johan Cruyff became a reality in 1974 with Montal as president

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The incredible victory in Basel in May 1979, when Barça won the European Cup Winners' Cup for the first time ever, returned FC Barcelona to the top ranking positions of the great world clubs. It was the first great victory during Josep Lluís Núñez's presidency.

During the 1980s, FC Barcelona experienced alternating highs and lows, influenced by match results, star players' performances and other matters, unrelated to sport.

This decade saw the arrival of fantastic footballers -including Quini, Maradona, Schuster, Alexanco, Julio Alberto, Urruti, Marcos...- and a series of managers with very different outlooks on football - Helenio Herrera, Lattek, Menotti, Venables... This was also the period in which the first multi-million contracts appeared and television rights began to influence the Club's financial affairs. The organisation grew bigger with the extension of the Camp Nou and a spectacular rise in membership numbers, which saw the total figure increase to over one hundred thousand.

A NEW ERA WITH PRESIDENT NÚÑEZ

The end of Franco and the new climate of political transition in the country allowed the Club to return to its democratic traditions. On 6 May 1978, the first elections of the new democratic period were held. All members were able to choose their president freely. Josep Lluís Núñez was elected, with the campaign "Let's open up Barça". Núñez was insistent on his aim to make the Club more accessible to its members, and the need to straighten out the Club's financial situation.

FIRST EUROPEAN CUP WINNERS' CUP

On 16 May 1979, Barça won the Cup Winners' Cup against Fortuna Düsseldorf (4-3), in an epic match that ran into extra time. An impressive group of some 30,000 FC Barcelona supporters accompanied the team to its victory; bringing their Senyeres and blue and claret flags across Europe. The European title victory prompted an unprecedented celebration on the streets of Barcelona and in other Catalan cities. The champions received a sensational homecoming, with two players given an especially ecstatic reception: Johan Neeskens, who was leaving the team, and Migueli, who had played the final with a broken collarbone.

QUINI'S KIDNAPPING

On 1 March 1981, the team's best striker, Enrique Castro, "Quini", was kidnapped from his own front door. His captivity lasted 25 days, during which time the team members rallied around each other. Quini's kidnapping had an enormous emotional impact on the team. Left without its striker, the team was obliged to continue playing the League, but lost any chance of winning the title. Barça supporters carried out a mass demonstration for Quini's release, which eventually came about on 25 March.

THE SIGNING OF MARADONA

One of the most complex and costly operations carried out by FC Barcelona came in the summer of 1982 with the signing of Diego Armando Maradona, who was considered the best footballer in the world at that time. Maradona, known as 'El Pelusa', was a maestro of unforgettable moves and goals. The Argentinean forward was a football prodigy, with his magical left foot, changes of rhythm, speed and dribbling. However, his time with Barça was marred by bad luck. In two years, he suffered from hepatitis and a serious injury. These misfortunes meant that fans could not enjoy his exceptional talent uninterruptedly. Maradona left the Club in 1984.

SECOND EUROPEAN CUP WINNERS' CUP AT CAMP NOU

On 12 May, Barça won its second Cup Winners' Cup; the final was played at the Camp Nou against Standard Liège (2-1), with goals from Simonsen and Quini. Barça lost the Spanish League during the final matches of the 1981/82 season, although victory had seemed imminent. Lattek's team had also been knocked out of the Spanish Cup before the quarterfinals.

"URRUTI, I LOVE YOU"

On 24 March 1985 Barça claimed the league title with four games to go thanks to a 2-1 win away at Valladolid. A penalty awarded against Barça in the 88th minute could have delayed the team from winning the title. Urruti saved 'Mágico' González's shot, and Barça became League champion for the first time in eleven years. The Basque goalkeeper went down in the Club's history. The match was broadcast on Catalunya Ràdio, with commentary from Joaquim Maria Puyal. Upon seeing the goalkeeper's save, he repeatedly exclaimed "Urruti, I love you". These words have come to mark the culminating moment of a League that Barça sorely wanted to win.

WILDERNESS YEARS

Unfortunately, the team coached by Terry Venables were unable to live up to that memorable 1984/85 campaign. 1986 saw the disappoinment of defeat in Seville in the final of the European Cup against Steaua Bucharest. Two years on and poor results brought a crisis on the field that led to a need for wholesale changes to the squad.

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Persistence to build itself into the greatest club in the world

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From 1988 on, with Cruyff as manager, Barça came to be associated once more with excellent football and sporting success. The board of directors presided over by Josep Lluís Nuñez focused on building up a team of footballers that would spark enthusiasm and perform well. The Camp Nou began to fill up once again.

FC Barcelona managed to secure four consecutive Spanish League championships, between 1990 and 1994. Winning the European Cup in 1992 was the pinnacle of this period, which was characterised by the team's one touch play and attacking style and the winning mentality of Cruyff's players.

Known as the 'Dream Team' of European football, the following unforgettable players went down in the Club's history: Zubizarreta, Bakero, Begiristain, Laudrup, Koeman, Stoichkov, Romário, Eusebio, Nadal, Guardiola, Amor, Juan Carlos, Ferrer, Nando, Julio Salinas, Serna, Alexanko and Goikoetxea.

Led by the Cruyff-Rexach duo, the team finally drew a line under its troubled past; Barça became one of the biggest names in world football.

THE RETURN OF CRUYFF

"I know the Club and I don't want history to repeat itself. If we want things to change, we must change history". These words set the Cruyff era in motion, marked by a change of philosophy. The team's tactics were modified to incorporate the Dutch coach Rinus Michels's "total football". Team management also changed, becoming the exclusive responsibility of the manager. With Cruyff, Barça experienced a glorious era. Cruyff's track record includes one European Cup, four Spanish League championships, one Cup Winners' Cup, one Copa del Rey and four Spanish Supercups. He was also responsible for introducing "rondos" (a circle of players pass the ball to each other, while one in the centre tries to catch it) into the team's training sessions.

THIRD EUROPEAN CUP WINNERS' CUP

On 10 May 1989, goals from Salinas and López Rekarte led FC Barcelona to a 2-0 victory against UC Sampdoria of Genoa. Over 25,000 supporters travelled to Switzerland to support the team. Cruyff's new Barça took home the Club's third Cup Winners' Cup. After years of disillusionment, fans returned to Canaletes and Plaça Sant Jaume to celebrate the top football team's victory.

MIGUELI'S FAREWELL

Migueli holds a privileged place in the history of the club, being the second player who has worn the Barça shirt most times (553), only beaten by Xavi. He was also one of the best centre backs to have ever played for FC Barcelona. On 5 September 1989, 'Migueli' wore the Barça colours for the last time in a match when Barça beat the Bulgarian national football team. Migueli played for FC Barcelona for the final time after sixteen seasons, alongside legendary figures like Cruyff (who scored a goal) and Rexach.

FIRST EUROPEAN CUP IN HANDBALL...

Barça's handball team won its first EHF Champions League while under Valero Rivera's management. FC Barcelona beat FK Proleter Zrenjanin 20-17 before a capacity crowd at the Palau. The combination of veteran players, like Rico, Sagalés and Serrano, and promising young players, such as Masip, Urdangarín and Barrufet, alongside the best player in the world, Veselin Vujović, brought the desired results. Barça's European domination began here, with a team that is one of the main favourites to win titles, year after year.

... AND IN FOOTBALL

The dream became a reality on 20 May 1992 at Wembley Stadium in London, when Barça beat UC Sampdoria of Genoa. The course of FC Barcelona's history changed forever. Johan Cruyff's last instruction to his players before they stepped onto the pitch was: "Go out and enjoy it". The match went to extra time after a scoreless draw. In the 111th minute, Ronald Koeman's brilliant free kick clinched Barça's first European Cup victory. 25,000 supporters accompanied the team to Wembley. One million people turned out on the streets of Barcelona to welcome the European champions home.

FOUR CONSECUTIVE LEAGUE TITLES

The Spanish League was the only title Cruyff had left to win, having already won the Cup Winners' Cup (1989) and the Copa del Rey (1990). Barça rose to the occasion. Not only did it win the League - it won four Leagues in a row (1991, 1992, 1993, 1994). The last three were won in the last match of the season. To this day, one of the abiding images of the 'Dream Team' is that of the footballers on the pitch awaiting the outcomes of their rivals' matches. Unfortunately, run of league title wins came to an end over the next two seasons.

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Barça win their first European Cup in 1992

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Few organisations reach their one hundredth anniversary, for doing so requires consistence and continuity. The aim of FC Barcelona's centenary was to celebrate the link between a glorious past and new hope for the future.

The commemorative events saw an outpouring of Barça sentiment, and offered an emotional opportunity to spend a year looking back at the Club's proud history. Several important figures from Catalan culture were involved, as did the media and several major organisations. Famous artist Antoni Tàpies designed the official Centenary poster, thus adding his name to list of internationally renowned artists and writers that have helped aggrandise FC Barcelona's symbolic universe over the years.

The 1998-99 season, that of the Centenary celebrations, was also historic because of the many sporting achievements: all four of the Club's professional sections (Football, Basketball, Handball and Roller Hockey) won their respective league titles.

In 2003, newly elected president Joan Laporta brought with him a young and dynamic generation of directors who totally changed the Club's image. His priority was to make it possible for the club's sporting successes to have a knock-on effect on the more social aspects of the Club.

The following years were spectacular in many ways: there was sporting success, an exponential increase in membership, economic progress that situated the Club among the world's elite and an unprecedented focus on charity projects that was culminated with Barça's collaboration agreement with Unicef in 2006, which projects Barça's caring image around the world, thus definitively globalising the notion of being "more than a club".

VAN GAAL AND SUCCESSIVE LEAGUE TITLES

39 since they had last achieved the feat, Louis Van Gaal's side won the League and Cup double in 1997/98. The following season the Dutchman also led his team to the league title.

CENTENARY CELEBRATIONS

The Club wanted the FC Barcelona Centenary celebrations to go on for a year. The fans and sportspeople enjoyed a series of commemorative events between 28 November 1998 and 29 November 1999. It all started with a massive fiesta in the stadium. One of the most memorable moments came when legendary Catalan singer Joan Manuel Serrat sung the Barça anthem before one hundred thousand spectators. Another emotional moment came on 28 April 1999 with the parade of hundreds of sportspeople that have defended the FC Barcelona colours over the years.

FIRST EUROLEAGUE TITLE

On 11 May 2003, Barça's Basketball team ended its disappointing European track record to win the Euroleague, formerly known as the European Champions' Cup. Following five defeats, the team, coached by Svetislav Pešić and led by Dejan Bodiroga, Sarunas Jasikevicius and Juan Carlos Navarro, finally won the Euroleague title. Barça defeated Benetton Treviso 76-65 at a packed Palau Sant Jordi. Dejan Bodiroga was named MVP of the Final Four played in Barcelona.

NEW ERA WITH PRESIDENT LAPORTA

In June 2003, the club members voted in a new board of directors, led by Joan Laporta. The new board brought in Frank Rijkaard as coach and Ronaldinho was signed to lead the team on the field. The Club had suffered four lean seasons and the arrival of the Brazilian was a much needed injection of optimism for Barça.

Rijkaard's tema won the league in 2004/05 in style and retained the title the following season. The team was led by Ronaldinho alongside the likes of Edmílson, Giuly, Belletti, Sylvinho and the duo of Deco and Eto'o. Home grown players such as Valdés, Oleguer, Puyol, Xavi and Iniesta also played a vital role in the team's success.

SECOND CHAMPIONS LEAGUE TITLE IN PARIS

On May 17, 2006, Barça had its name engraved on the Champions League trophy for the second time after overcoming Arsenal 2-1 in Paris. The goals by Eto'o and Belletti illuminated the Stade de France. It was the victory of joyous football, the so-called "jogo bonito", a bold and daring style, acclaimed the world over. Thousands of members and fans celebrated the victory in Paris, and millions more followed suit in Barcelona and other cities inside and outside Catalonia.

HISTORIC AGREEMENT WITH UNICEF

In 2006 an historic agreement was signed with UNICEF, by virtue of which the Club undertook to collaborate financially with this association, which works for children's rights and their protection, and whose anagram the Club's first-team shirt now bears. The first match in which the team sported the shirt with the UNICEF logo was on 12 September 2006, in the Camp Nou, in a Champions League match against Levski Sofia. Barça put on yet another brilliant exhibition that ended with a resounding 5-0 victory.

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The centenary celebrations were a demonstration of what Barça means to people, an emotional journey through the Club's history that lasted the whole year

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Barça delight the world with their brand of football that is appreciated by football fans from all over the world. They win three more Champions League titles in a decade of dominance for the blaugranes