From “Aquest any, yes” to “Aquest any, sis?”. Before, the Barcelona fans convinced themselves in the summer that the squad was good, the signings would be successful and the season would end with a title. Now Barcelona fans may lack fingers on one hand to count the leagues they can collect and celebrate in Sant Joan. At the moment there are four and the club aspires to make six full with all its professional teams. The challenge is still alive and would be historic. The Barça of the Six Leagues.
In 1999, Barcelona already celebrated its centenary in the best way: proclaiming itself league champion with its four professional teams: football, basketball, handball and roller hockey. Since then, futsal and women’s soccer have been added to the spectrum. The club’s sports spirit is beyond doubt even if it penalizes it in the system to account for the financial fair play of LaLiga.
The women’s soccer team won the League for the first time in 2011-12 and then six championships came close but men’s soccer failed. Now, the two of them have already done their homework. If they get basketball and futsal right at the Palau, Barça will have 125 leagues.
First full season for Xavi on the bench and first season for the Terrassa coach. The coach, with confidence and the signings of the levers, has put Barcelona back on the right path after three seasons without great success. De Jong, Araújo, Pedri, Gavi or Ansu Fati did not know what it was to be a champion with Barça. For Busquets and Alba it was the last.
Barça has been a very reliable team, capable of winning 1-0 with solvency. A set from head to toe, with Ter Stegen winning his first Zamora and Lewandowski triumphing in the Pichichi.
The defeat at the Bernabéu in October changed everything. The technician intervened. He first discarded the two pure ends, then put together four means. And it worked: 13 games without losing, with 12 victories and alirón with 4 days in advance… in Cornellà
Few things are brighter than women’s Barcelona, ??which has four league titles in a row (and two Champions League, in 2021 and 2023). During this time they have been the pride of a club that was reeling. They have never lowered the bar. The soccer players are demanding but they know how to respond to their requests. The challenges are set by themselves and right now they have no rival in Spain. They have won 28 games, they did not lose until they were champions and they have scored 118 goals and barely conceded 10.
This in a year in which Alexia Putellas, twice Ballon d’Or winner, has barely been able to play due to a serious injury. In his absence Mapi León, Aitana Bonmatí and Patri Guijarro have shared the leadership in Giráldez’s dressing room, where Oshoala, Hansen, Pina, Salma Paralluelo and Rolfö score the goals
There are already 13 leagues in a row. There is no superstition here. You have to go back to 2010 to find the last time that Barça did not win the Asobal league (Ciudad Real took it). Juan Carlos Ortega’s team has completed a perfect tournament and has counted their matches for victories, as they did in 2020-21 with Xavi Pascual.
The coaches say that the leagues are not won in March. Well, blaugrana handball, almost. On April 4, after beating Valladolid at the Palau in a victory combined with a puncture from Granollers, they celebrated the title with seven days to go. They are a steamroller. In the end there were 18 points over Cuenca. Cuts are announced but the Barça category finds no shade. Dominate with an iron fist, owner and lord of Asobal
Edu Castro’s Barça took very little time to take revenge. Roller hockey had accumulated eight leagues in a row when he skated in 2022 in the semifinals and was eliminated by Reus. Well, he took it out on the fast track. The blaugrana finished unbeaten leaders in the regular phase and have prevailed in the playoffs without losing a single game. In the Riazor, on the Liceo court, they recovered their lost throne after winning the two duels at the Palau beforehand.
If women’s football has Alexia, men’s football depends on Lewandowski and handball has Mem, Pau Bargalló rules in the stick, author of 17 goals in eight playoff games. At 29 years old, Paueti is the offensive leader of a team that did not notice the loss of a benchmark like goalkeeper Egurrola.
This Barça is on wheels and has won 33 of the 54 championships that have been played
This Sunday at 6:30 p.m., again at the Palau, Barcelona seeks to deal a blow that it hopes will be crucial and situate itself 2-0 in the final against Madrid, which it already won on Friday 97-88, before going to the Wizink. It will be the eighth time they have met this season, with four victories for Jasikevicius’ men.
Barça, which has reached its fifth consecutive ACB final, hopes that claiming the title, with the thorn of the Euroleague semifinal still very recent, manages to change the dynamics between the two national basketball greats since it seems that the Whites always get the biggest booty.
Despite the doubts, the communion of the fans is admirable. The direction and success of the point guards and outsiders are key to avoiding Tavares. These are the last days of Mirotic’s blaugrana, who exhibits extra motivation.
There are not two without three for the Blaugrana futsal team, which as between 2011 and 2013, seeks to chain another three leagues in a row again. This Saturday he laid the first stone by winning the first game of the final against debutant Jaén at the Palau (3-2). The three precedents between the two with a title at stake have fallen on the Barcelona side, an already consolidated great.
Ferrão, Pito and Matheus –heeled– give Carlos Velasco’s team an advantage, another of Laporta’s bets on the benches that have worked out for him like Ortega or Xavi.
Two home goalkeepers such as Dídac Plana and Feixas provide the feeling to alleviate the severe injury of captain Sergio Lozano, who underwent surgery for the fourth time on his right knee. The title would serve to say goodbye to Marcenio and Ortíz with honors
