Barça has been named European club of the year by the ECA at its meeting this week in Geneva, where it announces these awards in recognition of good results, the encouragement of healthy attitudes to sport, adequate business procedures and the strengthening of the ties between the members of the said association.

Three more awards

As well as announcing its club of the year, the ECA also named Sporting Braga (Portugal) as the club making the “best sporting progress in 2011” following its performance in the Europa League, FK Baku (Azerbaijan) as making the “greatest non sporting achievement of 2011” for setting up a school for its youth players and Glasgow Celtic as the club with the “best community and social responsibility programme of 2011” for an initiative aimed at integrating children with Down Syndrome in football.