FC Barcelona Atlètic
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Full name | Fútbol Club Barcelona Atlètic | ||
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Nickname(s) | Barça B Barça Atlètic | ||
Founded | 1970 | ||
Ground | Mini Estadi Barcelona, Catalonia Spain | ||
Capacity | 15,276 | ||
Chairman | Joan Laporta | ||
Coach | Luis Enrique | ||
League | 2ªB Group 3 | ||
2008-09 | 2ªB Group 3, 5th | ||
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Fútbol Club Barcelona Atlètic (formerly Fútbol Club Barcelona B) is a Spanish football team. They are the reserve team of Barcelona. Reserve teams in the Spanish football league system play in the same football pyramid as their senior team rather than a separate league. However reserve teams cannot play in the same division as their senior team. Therefore the team is ineligible for promotion to the Primera Division. Reserve teams are also no longer permitted to enter the Copa del Rey. In the past the reserve teams of both Barcelona and Real Madrid have blurred the lines between being a reserve team and a separate entity.
The team has a history distinct from the senior team and only became known as Barcelona B in the 1990s. Previously the club has been known as Club Deportivo Espanya Industrial, Club Deportivo Condal and Barcelona Atlètic. From 1993 to 2007, there was also a Barcelona C, founded in 1967 as Barcelona Amateur. Although Barcelona is traditionally regarded as being a very cosmopolitan club, it also has a history of producing players from the cantera barcelonista. Numerous senior players have graduated through the ranks of these junior teams.
Barcelona Atlètic play their home games at the Mini Estadi, next door to the Camp Nou. The Mini Estadi is one of the most impressive reserve team stadiums in the world. It opened in 1982 and has also hosted the FC Barcelona Dragons and Andorra internationals.
Starting in 2008, Barcelona B became known as Barcelona Atlètic. Luis Enrique took over when Josep Guardiola was promoted to senior first team coach.
History
SD España Industrial
Founded on 1 August 1934 as Societat Esportiva Industrial Espanya, the club was originally the sports club of the factory with the same name. The club shirt featured blue and white vertical stripes. The company was owned by the family of Josep Antoni de Albert who was briefly president of Barcelona in 1943. During Alberts’ presidency the club, now known as Club Deportivo Espanya Industrial, became the Barcelona reserve team and began to play their home games at Les Corts.
Initially the club played in the local regional leagues but in 1950 they were promoted to the Tercera División and by 1952 they had been promoted to the Segunda División. In 1953 they finished as runners-up in both the Segunda División, Group I and the subsequent promotion play-off but because they were a nursery club of Barcelona, they were unable to move up a division.
CD Condal
After winning another promotion play-off in 1956, Espanya Industrial became independent of Barcelona and were renamed Club Deportivo Condal. The club wore blue shirts with two white diagonals stripes. The club were now able to be promoted to the Primera División. However they survived only one season and were relegated in 1957. In 1968 the club rejoined the Barcelona family as the reserve team and adopted the blaugrana.
Barcelona Atlètic
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/6/69/Barcelona_Atl%C3%A9tico.png/110px-Barcelona_Atl%C3%A9tico.png)
In 1970, Barcelona president Agustí Montal decided to merge Condal with another junior club, Atlètic Catalunya, and formed Barcelona Atlètic. Atlètic Catalunya wasn formed in 1965 as a result of the merger of two other clubs: UE Catalunya de Les Corts, founded in 1918 as Catalunya Sporting Club, and CD Fabra Coats, founded in 1926.
La Masia
In 1979, Barcelona established La Masia as the headquarters of its youth academy. Since its inception it has nurtured numerous talented players for the senior team. Among them are Francisco José Carrasco, Ramón Calderé, Guillermo Amor, Albert Ferrer, Josep Guardiola, Sergi Barjuán, Víctor Valdés, Carles Puyol, Gerard Piqué, Sergio Busquets, Xavi Hernández, Andrés Iniesta, Lionel Messi, Pedro Rodríguez and Bojan Krkić, all of whom played for Barcelona B. However not all the graduates of La Masia established themselves at Barcelona and some have moved to other clubs to advance their careers. These have include Iván de la Peña, David Sánchez, Luis García, Pepe Reina, Mikel Arteta, Fran Mérida, Cesc Fàbregas, Albert Luque and Giovani dos Santos.
Awarded
- Segunda División B
- Champions: 1981-82, 1990-91, 1997-98, 2001-02
- Tercera División
- Champions: 1973-74, 2007-08
Season to season
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- 17 seasons in Segunda División
- 17 seasons in Segunda División B
- 4 seasons in Tercera División
- 1 seasons in Categorías Regionales
Current players
As of 29 August 2009
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Out on loan
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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In
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Out
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Selected former players
See also Category:FC Barcelona footballers
Selected managers
Josep Guardiola (2007-08)
Juande Ramos (1996-97)
Carles Rexach (1981-87)
External links
- FC Barcelona B at official website
- The lost boys of Barcelona by Ronald Atkin
- Official FC Barcelona UK Penya