Catalan football championship

Catalan football championship

Countries	Spain
Founded	1901-1940

The Catalan football championship (Campionat de Catalunya) was a football competition in Catalonia and the first football league in Spain before the La Liga was established in 1929.

In December 1900, Alfons Macaya, the president of Hispania AC, offered a trophy (the Copa Macaya) to be contested by several football teams from Spain. The league was played between 1901 and 1940 and was cancelled during Francisco Franco's dictatorship during the Spanish Civil War.

History

The Copa Macaya.

In 1901, Hispania AC became the first Catalan champions after winning the inaugural Copa Macaya. The following season, 1901-1902, saw FC Barcelona win the title, their first football trophy. During the 1902-1903 season two rival competitions were organised with RCD Espanyol winning the Copa Macaya and FC Barcelona winning the Copa Barcelona. After 1903 the championship was organised by the Football Associació de Catalunya and it became known as the Campionat de Catalunya. The winners also began to represent Catalonia in the Copa del Rey. By 1917 the league had turned professional and included a second division.

In 1928 three Catalan clubs: FC Barcelona, RCD Espanyol and CE Europa, became founding members of La Liga and the Campionat de Catalunya gradually began to decline in importance during the Spanish Civil War in 1940.

Champions

Copa Macaya

• Hispania AC : 1
  • 1900-1901

• FC Barcelona: 1
  • 1901-1902

• Club Espanyol: 1
  • 1902-1903

Copa Barcelona

• FC Barcelona: 1
  • 1902-1903

Campionat de Catalunya

• FC Barcelona: 22
  • 1904-1905, 1908-1909, 1909-1910, 1910-1911, 1912-1913, 1915-1916, 1918-1919, 1919-1920, 1920-1921, 1921-1922, 1923-1924, 1924-1925, 1925-1926, 1926-1927, 1927-1928, 1929-1930, 1930-1931, 1931-1932, 1933-1934, 1935-1936, 1937-1938

• Club Espanyol / X Sporting Club / RCD Espanyol/ CD Espanyol : 11
  • 1903-1904, 1905-1906, 1906-1907, 1907-1908, 1911-1912, 1914-1915, 1917-1918, 1928-1929, 1932-1933, 1936-1937, 1939-1940

• FC Espanya de Barcelona : 3
  • 1912-1913, 1913-1914, 1916-1917

• CE Europa : 1
  • 1922-1923

• CE Sabadell FC : 1
  • 1933-1934

External links

• List of Champions of Catalonia and Spain at www.rsssf.com
• Catalan football championship Final Tables at www.rsssf.com
• Catalan football championship statistics and squads at www.futcat.org