FCBARCELONA.CAT

11.05.2010 13:06

Fifteen years of European success

www.fcbarcelona.cat

FC Barcelona has the unique distinction of winning the European Cup in one of the Club’s sports sections every season for the last 15 years.

This amazing record started with the handball European Cup in 1996 and continued this season with the Euroleague basketball championship won by Navarro and co last Sunday in Paris.

18 European Cups

In fact, FC Barcelona has won 18 European Cups in the past 15 years. Top of the Club’s sports sections comes the roller hockey section, who have won Europe’s top club honour on no fewer than 8 occasions. The section also holds the Club record for the most European Cups – 18 altogether.

Next comes the handball section, which has lifted the European Cup six times in the 15-year period, the last time being against BM Ciudad Real in 2004-05.

Barcelona, Paris and Rome

The basketball section won the Euroleague for the first time in 2003 in a Final Four held in the Palau Sant Jordi here in Barcelona. Last Sunday, Paris witnessed the section’s second triumph in Europe’s top basketball competition, proving that the French capital brings the Club good fortune!

In 2006, the football team won the Champions League final against Arsenal in Paris while last year, Barca picked up their third trophy against another Premier League team, Manchester United, in Rome.

22 consecutive seasons of European triumph

If we include all European competitions then FC Barcelona has been represented by at least one of its sports sections on the roll call of winners every season since 1988-89.

This incredible run of success began with the football Cup Winners Cup won against Sampdoria en Berne in 1989. This has been followed by a flood of European honours in sports as diverse as football, basketball, handball and roller hockey, giving FC Barcelona an unparalleled record in European club sport.

On the verge of making history

But this year could be even more spectacular if the handball team win the Final Four in Cologne and the roller hockey team do the same in Valdagno. Added to the Euroleague already won by the basketball team, it would be the first time the Club has won the European Cup in three different sports in the same season.

So far the Club has won the European Cup in handball and roller hockey in the same season on three occasions: 1996-97, 1999-00 and 2004-05.