More than a club. Yes, thats what the title of the note means. It is all too familiar for us who follow FC Barcelona and over the course of watching them we realized that indeed some of the great institutions of the beautiful game are indeed more than just a club. I felt like writing this note to pay tribute in my own small way to FC Barcelona for the values they stand for and the way they showcased those to the world on the greatest stage of club football yesterday.
I have been following Liverpool FC for 12 long years now,watching their matches, following the players, revelled in their success and lived through the dissapointments. A great institution. FC Barcelona is and i must admit is an experience at a totally different level. These principles and values are not just limited to a game of football but they teach us a lot in general and i am a firm believer that sport is a great teacher in itself.
When Eric Abidal was asked by his teammates to lift the trophy, one of those values came out. For those who dont know what happened to Eric, he went through a serious operation to remove a tumour from his liver. Ever since that,the support he got from the enitre club(players+fans) is just unbelievable. I remember, when the frenchman came on as a substitute after the long lay off, the enitre Camp Nou (1 lac people) gave him a standing ovation, cheered for him, wore his t shirts and what not. Barcelona are perhaps the only mainstream club who donate 1.5 million Euros a year to UNICEF. The only club who till this season didnt have a major shirt sponsor. In an age where other clubs were busy completing lucrative deals, the catalans were more interested in giving for a cause. Truely inspiring to say the least.
Coming to the team, when we look at the players and bond between them it is not difficult to understand why they are great. Great teams or for that matter any great thing in life is built on the pillars of hardwork and humility. There is no place for ego and that is exactly what we see everytime Lionel Messi celebrates with his team mates, the way Xavi enjoys the success of each and every goal scored, the way a new member(Villa) gels into the team and his made to feel at home. From the academy of La Masia to the theatre called Nou Camp, success is given a broad definition which encompasses all the right values. What is more inspiring is the fact that in Messi,Xavi,Iniesta,Pedro we see common people without superhuman physiques,down to earth nature and amazing will to perform. Muhammad Ali once said "Champions aren't made in gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them-a desire, a dream, a vision...".People from all walks of life have something to learn from this great group of individuals. Dani Alves is another inspiring story. I remember, Liverpool balked at the idea of spending $8m for him and season after that he went to Barca for Euro32.5 m. His background and his struggle to the top is worth reading. I am sure behind all the names wearing the blaugrana shirt, lie an inspiring story.
I dont think its necessary for us to talk about the way they play football because surely, the world has come to an unanimous conclusion that FC Barcelona are the best team of our generation and perhaps the best ever Barca team. The dream team under Cryuff could not repeat their only European success (Barca winning Champions League back in 92 at Wembley). For the records, it is also widely accepted that although Inter Milan won the trophy last year, Barcelona were the best team out there.
On a concluding note, it is fair to say that the it will be hard to see players like Xavi,Iniesta,Messi playing together in the same team quite often. The divine traingles they make while playing is mesmerizing to watch. They have not only won trophies, they have won hearts world over with their brand of football. Viva Barca !!!
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