FC Barcelona Handbol

Futbol Club Barcelona Handbol is a professional Spanish handball team based in Barcelona, Catalonia. It is a part of the FC Barcelona multi sports club, and was founded on 29 November 1942. The club competes domestically in the Liga ASOBAL and in the European Champions League. It is the most successful handball club in Spain and Europe with a record number of domestic and international titles.

History

Early years

The handball section of Futbol Club Barcelona was founded on 29 November 1942 during the presidency of Enrique Piñeyro. In the beginning handball was played with eleven players per team and did not have a specialized field to play. They used football fields until the late 1950s, when they started to play, as in actual games, with seven players and a covered field.

In the early stages, competitions were dominated by other teams like Atlético de Madrid and Granollers, breaking their domination few times.

They won their first league title and cup in 1969. Their homefield Palau Blaugrana was constructed in 1971, where they have played since.

Valero Rivera era (1983–2003)

Things changed radically with the arrival of one of the best coaches in handball history, Valero Rivera. With him, the team became virtually unbeatable in Spain and in Europe, winning a record of 62 trophies under his rule, including 5 consecutive European Cups.

Post Valero Rivera era (2003–present)

In the summer of 2013, the Barça handball team, conducted by the head coach Xavi Pascual, won the IHF Super Globe trophy, the only trophy that was still missing from the club's trophy cabinet.

FC Barcelona’s handball team closed out the 2013/14 Liga ASOBAL with a record-breaking winning run. Barça made history this season when they completed their Liga ASOBAL without dropping any points from all 30 match days.

FC Barcelona successfully defended its IHF Super Globe title in 2014, marking the first time a team has won back-to-back titles since the most prestigious club handball event has been hosted annually in the Qatari capital Doha.

Again, FC Barcelona handball team ended the 2014/2015 Liga ASOBAL season unbeaten for the second consecutive year.

FC Barcelona handball team won the seven titles disputed the 2014/2015 season, something which had not happened since the 1999/2000 season with Valero Rivera's Dream Team.

In 2017 FC Barcelona handball was again champion of the IHF Super Globe after beating the German team Füchse Berlin.

In 2018, the club won the Super Globe trophy again, for the fourth time. In a repeat of last year the team of head coach Xavi Pascual won the IHF Super Globe Final against Füchse Berlin, this time by a five-goal difference, 29–24.

Again Barça won the IHF Super Globe in 2019, their third in a row. The team led by Xavi Pascual beat THW Kiel 34–32.

In 2021 Barça regain the European throne six years after the last title, winning the final against Aalborg Håndbold (36–23), at the end of an absolutely impeccable season: 6/6 titles and 61/61 victories. Xavi Pascual's team secured the section's 10th Champions League and also became the first team to lift the golden net, the new trophy for the European champions from this season, as a replacement for the bronze arm. The title concludes a season with an emotional ending, since it marks the conclusion of a cycle and the goodbye of several players, in addition to David Barrufet, Xavi Pascual and Fernando Barbeito. Former Dream Team player, Carlos Ortega was chosen to be FC Barcelona's new handball coach for the next three seasons.

In the 2021–22 season, after the successes achieved the previous season, the azulgrana certified a new sextet, where the only title that escaped was the Super Globe in October. The team won the Spanish Super Cup, the Catalan Super Cup, the Copa del Rey, the Sacyr ASOBAL League, the Sacyr ASOBAL Cup, and finally the Champions League. The team ended the season winning the 11th Champions League in Barça history. Barça revalidated the title in Cologne, being the first team to win two consecutive years with the new final four format, and extended its dominance in the historic record of the Handball Champions League.

Kits

Trophies

* IHF Super Globe: 5 – ''record''
** 2013, 2014, 2017, 2018, 2019
* EHF Champions League: 12 – ''record''
** 1990–91, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1997–98, 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2004–05, 2010–11, 2014–15, 2020–21, 2021–22, 2023–24
* EHF Cup Winner's Cup: 5 – ''record''
** 1983–84, 1984–85, 1985–86, 1993–94, 1994–95
* EHF Cup
** 2002–03
* European Super Cup: 5 – ''record''
** 1996–97, 1997–98, 1998–99, 1999–00, 2003–04
* Liga ASOBAL: 32 – ''record''
** 1968–69, 1972–73, 1979–80, 1981–82, 1985–86, 1987–88, 1988–89, 1989–90, 1990–91, 1991–92, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1997–98, 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2002–03, 2005–06, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20, 2020–21, 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24, 2024–25
* Copa del Rey: 29 – ''record''
** 1968–69, 1971–72, 1972–73, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1984–85, 1987–88, 1989–90, 1992–93, 1993–94, 1996–97, 1997–98, 1999–2000, 2003–04, 2006–07, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20, 2020–21, 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24, 2024–25
* Copa ASOBAL: 20 – ''record''
** 1994–95, 1995–96, 1999–00, 2000–01, 2001–02, 2009–10, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20, 2020–21, 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24, 2024–25
* Supercopa ASOBAL: 24 – ''record''
** 1986–87, 1988–89, 1989–90, 1990–91, 1991–92, 1993–94, 1996–97, 1997–98, 1999–00, 2000–01, 2003–04, 2006–07, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20, 2020–21, 2021–22
* Supercopa Ibérica: 3 – ''record''
** 2022, 2023, 2024
* Spanish Championship: 6 – ''record''
** 1944–45, 1945–46, 1946–47, 1948–49, 1950–51, 1956–57
* Catalan Championship: 10 – ''record''
** 1943–44, 1944–45, 1945–46, 1946–47, 1948–49, 1950–51, 1953–54, 1954–55, 1956–57, 1957–58
* Catalan League: 12 – ''record''
** 1981–82, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1984–85, 1986–87, 1987–88, 1990–91, 1991–92, 1992–93, 1993–94, 1994–95, 1996–97
* Pyrenees League: 12 – ''record''
** 1997–98, 1998–99, 1999–00, 2000–01, 2001–02, 2003–04, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2011–12
* Catalan Super Cup: 12 – ''record''
** 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
* Double: 18
** 1968–69, 1972–73, 1987–88, 1989–90, 1996–97, 1997–98, 1999–00, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20, 2020–21, 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24
* Triple Crown: 7
** 1996–97, 1997–98, 1999–00, 2014–15, 2020–21, 2021–22, 2023–24

Season by season

----
* 32 seasons in Liga ASOBAL

Season by season (B team)

European record

Team

Staff

:''Staff for the 2023–24 season''
* General Manager Xavier O'Callaghan
* Head coach Antonio Carlos Ortega
* Assistant coach Konstantin Igropulo
* Assistant coach Tomas Svensson
* Assistant coach Jordi Rosell
* Goalkeeping coach Roger Font
* Physiotherapist Sebastià Salas
* Club doctor Josep A. Gutiérrez

Current squad

:''Squad for the 2024–25 season''

;Goalkeeper
*1 Gonzalo Pérez de Vargas
* 12 Emil Nielsen
* 57 Vincent Gérard
;Left Wingers
* 13 Aitor Ariño
* 15 Hampus Wanne
;Right Wingers
* 18 Blaž Janc
* 20 Aleix Gómez
;Line players
*3 Antonio Bazán Legasa
* 11 Jaime Gallego
* 82 Luís Frade
* 99 Javier Rodríguez Moreno

;Left Backs
*9 Jonathan Carlsbogård
* 19 Timothey N'Guessan
* 22 Thiagus dos Santos
* 44 Juan Palomino
;Central Backs
*6 Pol Valera
* 35 Domen Makuc
* 88 Petar Cikuša Jeličić
;Right Backs
* 10 Dika Mem ( c)
* 66 Melvyn Richardson

Transfers

:''Transfers for the 2025–26 season''

; Joining
* Viktor Gísli Hallgrímsson (GK) ''(from Wisła Płock)''
* Ian Barrufet (LW) ''(back from loan at MT Melsungen)''
* Daniel Fernández (LW) ''(from TVB Stuttgart)''
* Seif El-Deraa (CB) ''(from Limoges Handball)''
* Đorđe Cikuša Jeličić (RB) ''(back from loan at Montpellier Handball)''

; Leaving
* Gonzalo Pérez de Vargas (GK) ''(to THW Kiel)''
* Hampus Wanne (LW) ''(to HØJ Elite)''
* Aitor Ariño (LW) ''(to Füchse Berlin)''
* Thiagus dos Santos (LB) ''(to ONE Veszprém)''
* Juan Palomino (LB)
* Pol Valera (CB) ''(to FC Porto)''
* Melvyn Richardson (RB) ''(to Wisła Płock)''
* Jaime Gallego (P)
* Antonio Bazán Legasa (P)

Notable former coaches

* Antonio Lázaro
* Josep Vilà
* Sergio Petit
* Miquel Roca
* Valero Rivera (1983–2003)
* Xesco Espar (2004–2007)
* Manolo Cadenas (2007–2009)
* Xavier Pascual Fuertes (2009–2021)
* Antonio Carlos Ortega (2021–present)

Notable former players

* Mikel Aguirrezabalaga
* David Barrufet
* Joan Cañellas
* Alberto Entrerríos
* Raúl Entrerríos
* Rubén Garabaya
* Juanín García
* Mateo Garralda
* Òscar Grau
* Rafael Guijosa
* Demetrio Lozano
* Enric Masip
* Xavier O'Callaghan
* Antonio Carlos Ortega
* Salvador Puig
* Lorenzo Rico
* Albert Rocas
* Iker Romero
* Joan Sagalés
* Víctor Tomás González
* Cristian Ugalde
* Iñaki Urdangarín
* Arpad Šterbik
* Andrei Xepkin
* Eric Gull
* Senjanin Maglajlija
* Muhamed Memić
* Danijel Šarić
* Siarhei Rutenka
* Marco Oneto
* Patrik Ćavar
* Davor Dominiković
* Venio Losert
* Igor Vori
* Marko Kopljar
* Michal Kasal
* Filip Jícha
* Lasse Andersson
* Joachim Boldsen
* Mikkel Hansen
* Kasper Hvidt
* Lars Krogh Jeppesen
* Kevin Møller
* Casper Ulrich Mortensen
* Jesper Nøddesbo
* Ali Zein
* Kiril Lazarov
* Borko Ristovski
* Jérôme Fernandez
* Nikola Karabatić
* Yanis Lenne
* Cédric Sorhaindo
* Christian Schwarzer
* Erhard Wunderlich
* László Nagy
* Aron Pálmarsson
* Guðjón Valur Sigurðsson
* Frode Hagen
* Glenn Solberg
* Kamil Syprzak
* Bogdan Wenta
* Alexandru Dedu
* Konstantin Igropulo
* Mladen Bojinović
* Ivan Lapčević
* Petar Nenadić
* Dejan Perić
* Nenad Peruničić
* Dragan Škrbić
* Jure Dolenec
* Luka Žvižej
* Mattias Andersson
* Mathias Franzén
* Magnus Jernemyr
* Jonas Larholm
* Fredrik Ohlander
* Johan Sjöstrand
* Tomas Svensson
* Walid Ben Amor
* Wael Jallouz
* Petrit Fejzula
* Milan Kalina
* Zlatko Portner
* Veselin Vujović
* Veselin Vuković

References

External links

Official website

FCB Handbol
on Facebook

{{DEFAULTSORT:Barcelona

Handball
Handball clubs in Catalonia
Handball clubs in Spain
Liga ASOBAL teams
1942 establishments in Spain
Handball clubs established in 1942