FC Barcelona in Europe

FC Barcelona in Europe is an article about FC Barcelona and their record in European football competitions. They are the only team to have played in Europe in every season since European competitions began in the 1950s. They have won the European Cup/UEFA Champions League twice. They have won the now defunct, European Cup Winners' Cup 4 times, and the old Inter-Cities Fairs Cup 3 times, which is more than any other club, for both trophies. They have also won the European Super Cup, and the Copa Latina, both of them on two occasions.

History

Early years

FC Barcelona was among the pioneers of European football, and as early as 1904 the club began to play friendly games against teams from the neighbouring regions in France. Club president Arthur Witty organised the club's first trip abroad, which resulted in their first game against a non-Spanish team. On May 1, 1904, FC Barcelona defeated Stade Olympien des Étudiants Toulousains. The same opponents were then invited back to Barcelona to play the inaugural game at the "Carrer Muntaner", one of the club's early homes. FC Barcelona won this game 4-0, with two goals from Joan Gamper.

By 1910, these games evolved into the "Coupe de Pyrenées", a competition featuring the top teams from Languedoc, Le Midi, Aquitaine, Catalonia, and the Basque Country. Five competitions were played before 1914 with FC Barcelona winning in 1910, 1911, 1912 and 1913. The final competition was won by FC Espanya de Barcelona in 1914. During the 1920s, the club regularly hosted friendly games against visiting teams from throughout Europe, and in 1932, FC Barcelona was invited to enter the "Copa Aniversario", a competition arranged to celebrate the anniversary of Benfica. FC Barcelona emerged triumphant after defeating Porto 2-1 and the host team 5-2. The Spanish Civil War and then the Second World War put a temporary hold on European football for the team. The opportunity to play European clubs again arrived with the emergence of summer tournaments such as the Trofero Teresa Herrera, hosted by Deportivo La Coruña. In 1948, FC Barcelona beat Porto 2-1 to win this trophy and they won it again in 1951, by beating Young Boys, 4-2. The club have also developed a feud with English giants Chelsea FC.In the 06/07 season,Barca lost their title after being knocked out by Liverpool FC in the Round of 16.

Copa Latina

In 1949, the football federations of Spain, Italy, France, and Portugal, came together and launched their own club competition. European clubs could not afford hefty travel costs so the Copa Latino was staged at the end of every season in a single host country. The competition featured two semi-finals, a third place play-off and a final. As La Liga champions in 1949, FC Barcelona represented Spain in the inaugural competition. They beat Reims 5-0 in their semi-final at "Les Corts", before beating Sporting Lisbon 2-1 in the final at the "Estadio Chamartín". FC Barcelona also played in and won the 1952 competition in Paris, beating Juventus 4-2 in the semi-final and then Nice 1-0 in the final.

Records

UEFA Champions League

*Winners: 1
**2006
***Stade de France, Paris, May 17th 2006.
***FC Barcelona 2 - 1 Arsenal
***"Samuel Eto'o", 76; "Juliano Belletti", 80
***Team: Valdés - Oleguer (Belletti, 70), Puyol, Márquez, van Bronckhorst - Edmílson (Iniesta, h/t) - Deco, van Bommel (Larsson, 60) - Giuly, Ronaldinho - Eto'o
***Coach: Frank Rijkaard

FC Barcelona won the UEFA Champions League for the second time by defeating Arsenal 2-1, with late goals from Samuel Eto'o and Juliano Belletti, despite falling behind to a Sol Campbell header in the 37th minute. Both the goals were set up by substitute Henrik Larsson. Arsenal's goalkeeper, Jens Lehmann, became the first player ever to be sent off in the final of the competition when he was dismissed in the 18th minute after bringing down Samuel Eto'o at the edge of the box.

*Runners-Up: 1
**1994
***Olympic Stadium, Athens, May 18th 1994.
***FC Barcelona 0 - 4 A.C. Milan
***Team: Zubizarreta - Ferrer, Koeman, Nadal, Sergi (Quiqui, 73) - Guardiola - Beguiristáin, (Eusebio, 51), Amor, Bakero, Stoichkov - Romário
***Coach: Johan Cruijff

=European Cup=

*Winners: 1
**1992
***Wembley Stadium, London, May 20th 1992.
***FC Barcelona 1 - 0 Sampdoria
***"Koeman, 111"
***Team: Zubizarreta - Ferrer, Koeman, Nando, Juan Carlos - Guardiola (Alexanko, 113) - Bakero, Eusebio, M. Laudrup, Stoichkov - Salinas (Goikoetxea, 64)
***Coach: Johan Cruijff

*Runners-Up: 2
**1961
***Wankdorf Stadium, Berne, May 31st 1961.
***FC Barcelona 2 - 3 S.L. Benfica
***"Kocsis, 20; Czibor, 75"
***Team: Ramallets, - Foncho, Gensana, Gracia - Verges, Garay - Kubala, Kocsis, Evaristo, Luis Suárez, Czibor
***Coach: Enrique Orizaola
**1986
***Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán, Seville, May 7th 1986.
***FC Barcelona 0 - 0 Steaua Bucharest
***Steaua Bucharest won 2-0 on penalties
***Team: Urruti - Gerardo, Migueli, Alexanko, Julio Alberto - Victor, Schuster (Moratalla, 85), Pedraza - Archibald ( Pichi Alonso, 106), Carrasco
***Coach: Terry Venables

=European Cup Winners Cup=

*Winners: 4
**1979
**St. Jakob-Park, Basel, May 16th 1979
**FC Barcelona 4 - 3 Fortuna Düsseldorf
**"Sanchez 5, Asensi 34, Krankl 104, Rexach 111"
**Team: Artola; Zuviria, Migueli, Costas (Martinez), Albaladejo (De la Cruz); Sanchez, Neeskens, Asensi; Rexach, Krankl, Carrasco.
**Coach: Joaquim Rifé

**1982
**Camp Nou, Barcelona, May 12th 1982
**FC Barcelona 2 - 1 Standard Liège
**"Simonsen 44, Quini 63"
**Team: Urruti; Gerardo, Migueli, Alexanko, Manola; Sanchez, Mortalla, Esteban; Simonsen, Quini, Carrasco.
**Coach: Udo Lattek

**1989
**FC Barcelona 2 - 0 Sampdoria
**Wankdorf Stadium, Berne, May 10th 1989
**"Salinas 4, Lopez Rekarte 79"
**Team: Zubizarreta, Aliosio, Alexanko, Urbano; Milla, Amor, Eusebio, Roberto; Lineker, Salinas, Beguiristain (Lopez Rekarte 74).
**Coach: Johan Cruyff

**1997
**FC Barcelona 1 - 0 Paris Saint-Germain
**Feyenoord Stadion, Rotterdam, May 14th 1997
**"Ronaldo pen. 37".
**Team: Baía, Ferrer, Abelardo, Popescu ( Amor 46), Sergi, Guardiola, De la Peña (Stoichkov 85), Couto, Luis Enrique (Pizzi 89), Figo, Ronaldo.
**Coach: Bobby Robson

*Runners-Up: 2
**1969
**St. Jakob-Park, Basle, May 21st 1969
**FC Barcelona 2 - 3 Slovan Bratislava
**"Zaldua 16, Rexach 52"
**Team: Sadurni; Franch (Pereda), Eladio, Rife; Olivella, Zabalza, Pellic, Castro (Mendoza), Zaldua, Fusté, Rexach.
**Coach: Salvador Artigas

**1991
**Feyenoord Stadion, Rotterdam, May 15th 1991
**FC Barcelona 1 - 2 Manchester United
**"R. Koeman 79"
**Team: Busquets - Alexanko (Pinilla 73), Nando, R. Koeman, Ferrer - Goikoetxea, Eusebio, Bakero, Beguiristain - Salinas , M. Laudrup
**Coach: Johan Cruyff

European Super Cup

*Winners: 2
**1992
**Werder Bremen 1 - 1 FC Barcelona
**FC Barcelona 2 - 1 Werder Bremen
**1997
**1st Leg
**FC Barcelona 2 - 0 Borussia Dortmund
**Camp Nou, Barcelona, January 8th 1998
**"Luis Enrique 8, Rivaldo 61".
**Team: Hesp, Bogarde, Albert Celades, Reiziger (Abelardo 70), Ferrer, Sergi, De la Peña, Rivaldo (Giovanni 86), Luis Enrique, Figo (Stoichkov 86), Anderson
**2nd Leg
**FC Barcelona 1 - 1 Borussia Dortmund
**Westfalendstadion, Dortmund, March 11th 1998
**"Giovanni 8".
**Team: Hesp - Ferrer, Bogarde, Nadal, Sergi, Figo , Albert Celades (Amor 79), Luis Enrique (Ciric 89), Anderson (Oscar Garcia 71), Giovanni, Rivaldo.

*Runners-Up: 4
**1979
**FC Barcelona 1 - 1 Nottingham Forest
**Nottingham Forest 1-0 FC Barcelona
**1982
**FC Barcelona 1 - 0 Aston Villa
**Aston Villa 3 - 0 FC Barcelona
**1989
**FC Barcelona 1 - 1 AC Milan
**AC Milan 1 - 0 FC Barcelona
**2006
**FC Barcelona 0 - 3 Sevilla FC
**Stade Louis II, Monaco, August 25th 2006
**Team: Víctor Valdés, Juliano Belletti, Carles Puyol, Rafael Márquez, Sylvinho (Ludovic Giuly 71), Thiago Motta (Eidur Gudjohnsen 56), Xavi (Andrés Iniesta 56), Deco, Lionel Messi, Samuel Eto'o, Ronaldinho

Inter-Cities Fairs Cup

*Winners: 3
**1958
**FC Barcelona 6 - 0 London XI
***London XI 2 - 2 FC Barcelona
**1960
**FC Barcelona 4 - 1 Birmingham City
**Birmingham City 0 - 0 FC Barcelona
**1966
**Real Zaragoza 2 - 4 FC Barcelona
**FC Barcelona 0 - 1 Real Zaragoza
*Runners-Up: 1
**1962
**Valencia CF 6 - 2 FC Barcelona
**FC Barcelona 1 - 1 Valencia CF

=Copa Latina=

*Winners: 2
**1949
**Estadio Chamartín, Madrid, July 3rd 1949
**FC Barcelona 2 - 1 Sporting Lisbon
** "Basora, Seguer "Team: Velasco - Calvet, Curta, Calo, Gonzalvo III, Gonzalvo II, Basora, Seguer, Canal, César, Navarro.

**1952
**Parc des Princes, Paris
**FC Barcelona 1 - 0 OGC Nice
**"Cesar"Team: Ramallets - Martin, Biosca, Seguer, Bosch, Escudero, Basora, César, Kubala, Aldecoa, Manchon.

----As of the beginning of the 2007-2008 season, Barcelona have competed in:
*17 participations in the "UEFA Champions League"
*11 participations in the "UEFA Cup"
*6 participations in the "European Super Cup"
*1 participation in the "Intercontinental Cup"
*1 participation in the "FIFA Club World Cup"

External links

* [http://www.uefa.com/footballEurope/Club=50080/competition=1/index.html FC Barcelona UEFA Record] .
* [http://www.rsssf.com/tablesb/barca-international.html International Games since 1904]
* [http://www.rsssf.com/tablesp/pyrenees.html Coupe de Pyrenées stats]
* [http://www.rsssf.com/tablesl/latin.html Copa Latino stats]