Hail the New Champions of Europe. Barcelona!!

Fútbol Club Barcelona (Catalan pronunciation: [fudˈbɔɫ ˌklup bəɾsəˈlaonə], Spanish: [ˈfuðβol ˌkluβ barθeˈlona]), also known simply as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça (Catalan: [ˈbaɾsə], Spanish: [ˈbarsa]), is a sports club based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. It is best known for its footballteam, which was founded in 1899 by a group of Swiss, English and Spanish men led by Joan Gamper. The club has become a Catalaninstitution, hence the motto "Més que un club" (More than a club). The official Barça anthem is El Cant del Barça by Josep Maria Espinàs.

FC Barcelona is one of three clubs never to have been relegated from La Liga and the most successful club in Spanish football after Real Madrid, having won nineteen La Liga titles, a record twenty-five Spanish Cups, eight Spanish Super Cups, four Eva Duarte Cups and twoLeague Cups. They are also one of the most successful clubs in European football having won thirteen official major European trophies in total, including ten UEFA competitions. They have won three UEFA Champions League titles, a record four UEFA Cup Winners' Cups, a record three Inter-Cities Fairs Cups (the forerunner to the UEFA Cup) and three UEFA Super Cups. In 2009, Barcelona became the first club in Spain to win the treble of La Liga, Copa del Rey and UEFA Champions League. The club is also the only European side to have played continental football in every season since its inception in 1955.

The club's stadium is the Camp Nou, the largest stadium in Europe with a capacity of 98,772 seats. Barcelona enjoys a high rate of popularity; about 25.7% of Spanish population support the club, while according to a recent survey Barcelona is the most popular football club in Europe with around 44.2 million fans. With 170,000 socis (members) in September 2009, the Catalan club is also placed among the top football clubs in the world with the most registered members, and the number of penyes, the officially-registered supporter clubs, reached the number of 1,888 worldwide in August 2009. The fans of FC Barcelona are known as culés. The club shares a great rivalry with Real Madrid and contest in one of the most famous football matches worldwide, known as El Clásico.

During the 2007–08 season, FC Barcelona was the third richest club in the world with a revenue of €308.8 million. It was also one of the founding members of the now-defunct G-14 group of the leading European football clubs and its modern replacement, the European Club Association. The club also operates a reserve team, FC Barcelona Atlètic, while there was a youth team until 2007, FC Barcelona C.

As of July 1, 2009, FC Barcelona was ranked first in UEFA team ranking. According to the International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS), Barça has been the most consistently successful club in the world since the organisation began collecting statistics, in the period 1991-2008.

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The Transfer Market Ultimatum

The Transfer Market Ultimatum

The recent transfer market has illustrates one main thing. Spending power in an economic meltdown. Spanish powerhouse Real Madrid and newly acquired Manchester City by the Abu Dhabi group had shown no signs of slowing down in terms of buying new players. The recent signing of world player of the year, Cristiano Ronaldo and Brazilian playmaker Kaka which costs 80 million pounds and 60 million pounds respectively is an early indication of what the Bernabeu intends to achieve this new term, reviving the new era of 'Galaticos'. The reelection of former president, Florentino Perez promises one thing. To bring trophies back to the Bernabeu, and under the new reign of the galaticos, that promise seems prominent.

While many other clubs are struggling to meet the financial term this time around, Real Madrid and Manchester City financial superiority are yet to be challenged. Manchester City have spent more that

100 million pounds for the acquisition of Emmanuel Adebayor, Carlos Tevez, Roque Santa Cruz, Gareth Barry, adn Joanne Lescott. While Real Madrid also include Frenchmen Karim Benzema in their squad list with an additional and keep an close eye on French mercury, Frank Ribery. Madrid's spending spree are already reaching the 200 million pounds notch.

Sir Bobby Charlton described as the amount spent on Cristiano Ronaldo as 'vulgar'. It is hard to argue at a time when global economic conditions is at its worst. Spain alone are not in the best of economic conditions. Poverty and unemployment stills plague the nation. Therefore, it is hard to imagine that Madrid could still afford to spent million of pounds on players. Rumors has it that Madrid are willing to sell the Bernebaue to finance the buying of the new galaticos. If the rumors were true, this policy can be either too clever or too absurd, subjective on where Madrid's team lies on the table at the end of the season.

The argument is this, money couldn't guarantee success. What have been brought to the papers doesn't necessarily well translated on the pitch. A massive amount up to 200 million pounds on player's transfers will not only put pressure on the financial capabilities of a club, but could spell disaster in the long term as well. Just look at what happens to Leeds United, Newcastle United, Lazio and among other clubs that couldn't afford to turn the table of the financial side after spending more than they could pay. Relegation and financial drought is the price to pay. What will happen if Roman Abramovich or the Abu Dhabi group finally decided that its to let go of their respective clubs or football doesn't seem to interest them anymore. The fate of these clubs will be hanging in the balance.

What really should be appreciated is the way the traditional managers of football in trying to established a team by mixing youth and experienced players. Along the way, a few big names will be signed to add the in-depth strength of a team. Arsene Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson is the best example out there. They all know that Rome isn't built in a day.

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