FC Espanya de Barcelona
Encyclopedia
FC Espanya de Barcelona, also referred to as FC España de Barcelona, was a Spanish
Catalan
football club based in Barcelona
. They enjoyed a golden age during the 1910s and were Catalan champions three times during the decade. They were also Copa del Rey
runners-up in 1914. By 1923 the club had changed its name to Gràcia FC and in 1932 it merged with CE Europa
.
Founded by three students, Graells, Rossendo and Just, in September 1905, their first game was against an FC Barcelona
second team. They were one of several football clubs to emerge with a reference to Spain
in their title. Others in Barcelona included Hispania AC and Sociedad Española de Football, both formed in 1900. This latter club later became RCD Espanyol
. Elsewhere Real Madrid
was formed after a split with Club Español de Madrid
and CD Español de Valladolid later merged into Real Valladolid
. Other similar named clubs also emerged in Cadiz
and Valencia.
and RCD Espanyol
. During the 1912-13 season there was a split in the Royal Spanish Football Federation and rival competitions were organised in both the Campionat de Catalunya and the Copa del Rey
. FC Espanya won one version of the Campionat and then qualified for the Copa FEF. After beating Real Vigo Sporting
in a preliminary round they then lost 1-0 to the eventual winners Racing de Irún
in the semi-final.
1914 was the most successful year in the club's history. They won a reunited Campionat de Catalunya and then reached the 1914 Copa del Rey final where they lost 2-1 to Athletic Bilbao
. They also won the Coupe de Pyrenées, a competition featuring the top teams from Languedoc
, Le Midi
, Aquitaine
, Catalonia
, and the Basque Country
. In 1917 FC Espanya won a third Campionat de Catalunya and received a bye to the 1917 Copa del Rey semi-finals where it took the eventual winners Madrid FC
four games to beat them.
. However the following year they finished bottom again and this time they lost the play-off to the same club. In 1922 they were Category B champions but subsequently lost a play-off to RCD Espanyol
.
and briefly became known as Catalunya FC. However the merger of the two clubs was not a success and during the 1931-32
season Catalunya FC, with three games to go, were unable to complete their fixture list due to financial reasons. As a result the fifteen games they had played in the Segunda División
were annulled and the team were relegated to the Tercera División
. The club then reverted to the name CE Europa
in 1932.
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Football in Spain
Football is the most popular sport in Spain. The Royal Spanish Football Federation is the national governing body and it organizes La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Spain national football team, current champion of the FIFA World Cup...
Catalan
Football in Catalonia
Football is the most important sport in Catalonia and was introduced in the late 19th century by a combination of mostly British immigrant workers and visiting sailors, and students returning from Britain. Catalonia led the way in the development of football in Spain, organising both the first...
football club based in Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
. They enjoyed a golden age during the 1910s and were Catalan champions three times during the decade. They were also Copa del Rey
Copa del Rey
The Copa del Rey is an annual football cup competition for Spanish football teams. Its full name is Campeonato de España – Copa de Su Majestad el Rey de Fútbol ....
runners-up in 1914. By 1923 the club had changed its name to Gràcia FC and in 1932 it merged with CE Europa
CE Europa
Club Esportiu Europa is a Spanish/Catalan sports club, based in the Gràcia district of Barcelona. The club is best known for its football team who in 1928, along with city neighbours FC Barcelona and RCD Espanyol, were founder members of La Liga. During the late 1990s they won the Copa Catalunya...
.
Founded by three students, Graells, Rossendo and Just, in September 1905, their first game was against an FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
second team. They were one of several football clubs to emerge with a reference to Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
in their title. Others in Barcelona included Hispania AC and Sociedad Española de Football, both formed in 1900. This latter club later became RCD Espanyol
RCD Espanyol
Reial Club Deportiu Espanyol de Barcelona is a sports club based in Barcelona, Spain. It is best known for its football team. Espanyol currently play in the Estadi Cornellà-El Prat with seats for 40,500 spectators. It was inaugurated on 2 August 2009...
. Elsewhere Real Madrid
Real Madrid
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
was formed after a split with Club Español de Madrid
Club Español de Madrid
Club Español de Madrid was a Spanish football club based in Madrid. The club was originally formed in 1900. In 1902 a split within the club resulted in the formation of Real Madrid. Club Español were subsequently Campeonato Regional Centro champions in both 1904 and 1909.Club Español were one of...
and CD Español de Valladolid later merged into Real Valladolid
Real Valladolid
Real Valladolid Club de Fútbol, S.A.D. is a Spanish football club based in Valladolid, in the autonomous community of Castile and León, from where the nickname Pucela is derived....
. Other similar named clubs also emerged in Cadiz
Cádiz
Cadiz is a city and port in southwestern Spain. It is the capital of the homonymous province, one of eight which make up the autonomous community of Andalusia....
and Valencia.
Golden Age
FC Espanya made their debut in the Campionat de Catalunya during the 1907-08 season and during the 1910s they challenged the monopoly previously enjoyed by FC BarcelonaFC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
and RCD Espanyol
RCD Espanyol
Reial Club Deportiu Espanyol de Barcelona is a sports club based in Barcelona, Spain. It is best known for its football team. Espanyol currently play in the Estadi Cornellà-El Prat with seats for 40,500 spectators. It was inaugurated on 2 August 2009...
. During the 1912-13 season there was a split in the Royal Spanish Football Federation and rival competitions were organised in both the Campionat de Catalunya and the Copa del Rey
Copa del Rey
The Copa del Rey is an annual football cup competition for Spanish football teams. Its full name is Campeonato de España – Copa de Su Majestad el Rey de Fútbol ....
. FC Espanya won one version of the Campionat and then qualified for the Copa FEF. After beating Real Vigo Sporting
Real Vigo Sporting
Real Vigo Sporting Club , was a Spanish football club based in Vigo, Galicia. They later joined with their city rivals Real Fortuna Foot-ball Club to form Celta de Vigo.-History:...
in a preliminary round they then lost 1-0 to the eventual winners Racing de Irún
Real Unión
Real Unión Club de Irún, S.A.D. is a Spanish football club based in Irun, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country, in the province of Gipuzkoa, near the border with France...
in the semi-final.
1914 was the most successful year in the club's history. They won a reunited Campionat de Catalunya and then reached the 1914 Copa del Rey final where they lost 2-1 to Athletic Bilbao
Athletic Bilbao
Athletic Club, also known as Athletic Bilbao, is an association football club from Bilbao in Biscay, Spain. The club has played in the Primera División of La Liga since its start in 1928. They have won La Liga on eight occasions...
. They also won the Coupe de Pyrenées, a competition featuring the top teams from Languedoc
Languedoc
Languedoc is a former province of France, now continued in the modern-day régions of Languedoc-Roussillon and Midi-Pyrénées in the south of France, and whose capital city was Toulouse, now in Midi-Pyrénées. It had an area of approximately 42,700 km² .-Geographical Extent:The traditional...
, Le Midi
Southern France
Southern France , colloquially known as le Midi is defined geographical area consisting of the regions of France that border the Atlantic Ocean south of the Gironde, Spain, the Mediterranean, and Italy...
, Aquitaine
Aquitaine
Aquitaine , archaic Guyenne/Guienne , is one of the 27 regions of France, in the south-western part of metropolitan France, along the Atlantic Ocean and the Pyrenees mountain range on the border with Spain. It comprises the 5 departments of Dordogne, :Lot et Garonne, :Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Landes...
, Catalonia
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
, and the Basque Country
Basque Country (autonomous community)
The Basque Country is an autonomous community of northern Spain. It includes the Basque provinces of Álava, Biscay and Gipuzkoa, also called Historical Territories....
. In 1917 FC Espanya won a third Campionat de Catalunya and received a bye to the 1917 Copa del Rey semi-finals where it took the eventual winners Madrid FC
Real Madrid
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
four games to beat them.
Decline in the 1920s
In subsequent years the club went into decline and in 1920 they finished bottom of Category A of the Campionat de Catalunya and only survived relegation after winning a play-off against L’AvençUE Sant Andreu
Unió Esportiva Sant Andreu is a Spanish football team based in the city of Barcelona, in the district of Sant Andreu, Catalonia. Founded in 1925, it plays in Segunda División B - Group 3, holding home matches at Camp Municipal Narcís Sala, with an all-seated capacity of 6,900.-Club background:*Club...
. However the following year they finished bottom again and this time they lost the play-off to the same club. In 1922 they were Category B champions but subsequently lost a play-off to RCD Espanyol
RCD Espanyol
Reial Club Deportiu Espanyol de Barcelona is a sports club based in Barcelona, Spain. It is best known for its football team. Espanyol currently play in the Estadi Cornellà-El Prat with seats for 40,500 spectators. It was inaugurated on 2 August 2009...
.
Gràcia FC
In 1923 FC Espanya changed their name to Gràcia FC and under this name they were promoted to Category A in 1924. They survived in Category A until 1928 when they found themselves relegated once again. In 1931 Gràcia FC merged with CE EuropaCE Europa
Club Esportiu Europa is a Spanish/Catalan sports club, based in the Gràcia district of Barcelona. The club is best known for its football team who in 1928, along with city neighbours FC Barcelona and RCD Espanyol, were founder members of La Liga. During the late 1990s they won the Copa Catalunya...
and briefly became known as Catalunya FC. However the merger of the two clubs was not a success and during the 1931-32
Segunda División 1931-32
The 1931–32 Segunda División season saw 10 teams participate in the second flight Spanish league. Betis was promoted to Primera División. Catalunya was relegated to Tercera División.-Final table:...
season Catalunya FC, with three games to go, were unable to complete their fixture list due to financial reasons. As a result the fifteen games they had played in the Segunda División
Segunda División
The Segunda División is the lower tier of the two professional football leagues in Spain. From the season 2008-09 onwards, the name of the league is Liga Adelante.-History:...
were annulled and the team were relegated to the Tercera División
Tercera División
Tercera División is the fourth level of the Spanish football league system. The top three are the Primera División, often referred to as "La Liga" in English, the Segunda División, and Segunda División B.-Current Format:...
. The club then reverted to the name CE Europa
CE Europa
Club Esportiu Europa is a Spanish/Catalan sports club, based in the Gràcia district of Barcelona. The club is best known for its football team who in 1928, along with city neighbours FC Barcelona and RCD Espanyol, were founder members of La Liga. During the late 1990s they won the Copa Catalunya...
in 1932.
Honours
- Copa del ReyCopa del ReyThe Copa del Rey is an annual football cup competition for Spanish football teams. Its full name is Campeonato de España – Copa de Su Majestad el Rey de Fútbol ....
- Runners-Up: 1914: 1
- Catalan Champions
- Winners: 1912-13, 1913–14, 1916-17: 3
- Runners-Up: 1909-10, 1911–12, 1915–16, 1917-18: 4
- Coupe de Pyrenées
- Winners: 1914: 1
- Championat de Catalunya B
- Winners: 1921-22: 1
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- 1 seasons in Segunda DivisiónSegunda DivisiónThe Segunda División is the lower tier of the two professional football leagues in Spain. From the season 2008-09 onwards, the name of the league is Liga Adelante.-History:...