When did you start supporting Barcelona and Why?

For me it was right before the 2006 World Cup and because of Ronaldinho I had just came out of my follow only my national team cave and was memorized by ronaldinho

The 03/04 Season.

My decision had roots emanating from my favorite national team at the time, the Dutch. Combination of cocu/kluivert/overmars lured me towards FCB. Frank De Boer had just left too.

And then along came Ronaldinho. That free kick goal versus England was imprinted in my memory for the ages. And I loved the fact that he was playing for FCB. And I had no idea as to the phenomenal impact he was going to have on my club and me.

Then Davids joined and my joy knew no bounds, even if it was for like half a season.


It was a fairly difficult season I remember.We were incredibly shit at one point, and I still remember our defeats to Valencia and that 5-1 to Malaga or Mallorca..I forget which. And the UEFA cup defeat to Celtic, although I never fully realised the significance of the Cup, I remember them eliminating us. And despite all that, we somehow managed to finish second only behind Valencia in La Liga ! It showed heart and character, and I was more than confident in my choice of allegiance

It was a good opening season for a new fan, and I was one of the few FCB fans in my school among all the Madrid lovers. They had their plethora of superstars. And I had Ronaldinho , and it was more than enough.

Eventhough a majority of the Dutch contingent was shipped out the following year. Ronaldinho , his dazzle and his toothy grin, was all I needed. And I haven't looked back since.

According to most people in the general section, I started supporting them in 2009, and I did so because I'm a bandwagonner that only supports winner clubs.

free_cat wrote:According to most people in the general section, I started supporting them in 2009, and I did so because I'm a bandwagonner that only supports winner clubs.

Screw that sh!t man. Tell us when and why you started supporting us, we're not the general section. Self victimization isn't necessary. Even if you are a bandwagonner, I really don't mind. We've been playing out of the world of late, and I'm sure our fan base has increased by leaps and bounds as a result. In the end, to each his own. If you love our football. Then that's all you need, as opposed to approval and recognition from the masses.

And btw..do you really live in Catalunya ?

The Lizard King wrote:

free_cat wrote:According to most people in the general section, I started supporting them in 2009, and I did so because I'm a bandwagonner that only supports winner clubs.

Screw that sh!t man. Tell us when and why you started supporting us, we're not the general section. Self victimization isn't necessary. Even if you are a bandwagonner, I really don't mind. We've been playing out of the world of late, and I'm sure our fan base has increased by leaps and bounds as a result. In the end, to each his own. If you love our football. Then that's all you need, as opposed to approval and recognition from the masses.

And btw..do you really live in Catalunya ?

It was meant to be a joke, it's been many times that people have told me that in general section, and I've grown to find it very funny.

Yeah, I'm catalan, I've been a Barça fan since I was a little kid.

free_cat wrote:According to most people in the general section, I started supporting them in 2009, and I did so because I'm a bandwagonner that only supports winner clubs.

LOL a Catalan supporting Barca is accused of being a Bandwagoner. Awesome.

free_cat wrote:

The Lizard King wrote:

free_cat wrote:According to most people in the general section, I started supporting them in 2009, and I did so because I'm a bandwagonner that only supports winner clubs.

Screw that sh!t man. Tell us when and why you started supporting us, we're not the general section. Self victimization isn't necessary. Even if you are a bandwagonner, I really don't mind. We've been playing out of the world of late, and I'm sure our fan base has increased by leaps and bounds as a result. In the end, to each his own. If you love our football. Then that's all you need, as opposed to approval and recognition from the masses.

And btw..do you really live in Catalunya ?

It was meant to be a joke, it's been many times that people have told me that in general section, and I've grown to find it very funny.

Yeah, I'm catalan, I've been a Barça fan since I was a little kid.

lol...I gettit now My bad bro I had no idea you were actually a catalan. That kicks ass. And emphasizes the douche bagginess of the general section crowd I guess.

I envy you. Barcelona is one of the few places that I absolutely have to visit. And I will too.
The only other European places that I'm interested in are Prague, Amsterdam and Venice. But Barcelona is on top of my list. Although the language barrier isn't gna be easy to get past..

thats awesome free_cat it is my goal in life to watch a classico in the Camp Nou and my only regret is not being able to follow Barca earlier lol Ive been quite unlucky though its only been like the last two or three years that i have truly been able to keep up with all the games before i had to rely on highlights, articles and the fifa games to get my barca fix

Jack Daniels wrote:

free_cat wrote:According to most people in the general section, I started supporting them in 2009, and I did so because I'm a bandwagonner that only supports winner clubs.

LOL a Catalan supporting Barca is accused of being a Bandwagoner. Awesome.

I love the attention to detail in the General section.

Became a Barca fan since around the year 2000. Got a Rivaldo jersey and thought I was shit hot. (I was)

Didn't actually start watching Barca matches properly till Ronaldinho peak years. Since then I've hardly missed a game.

Been to Camp Nou, but only on a stadium tour.

I'm hoping to go to a game this coming season.

I first became a Barcelona fan in the 2004-05 season mainly because of Ronaldinho. For two years I was a very staunch supporter of both the player and the club.

Then WC 2006 onwards I developed very negative feelings towards Ronaldinho. So for the next two years I did not bother much about the club.

Meanwhile right from the minute I first saw him I had a major fondness for Lionel Messi and he was also Argentine. At the same time I had seen bits of Iniesta's play and he became a player after my own heart - very silky and understated.

When Ronaldinho was moved out in the summer of 2008 I began taking interest in the club again. Also the Euro 2008 victory for Spain brought my focus heavily on Xavi and Iniesta. So when the team was built around Messi, Xavi and Iniesta from the start of the 2008-09 season and Messi started off in super-human form, I became a regular staunch supporter once again and have been so since and that too with much greater intensity than in my first stint.

As of today Messi, Xavi and Iniesta for me define the essence of football.

No specific moment, more a gradual build up of love... I don't really understand the idea that some people 'choose' a team and just start following it (not saying you guys do that! but I know it happens).

I'm from Australia, where football is on the rise and the European brand of football as opposed to the 'English' one, is now beginning to be appreciated. However, when I was young, EPL was at its height, the 90s with magnificent Manchester United and then there was Arsenal's period where they were the bomb for about 4 years. Basically, in Australia, like in England, football outside England didn't even exist.

I didn't even really like watching 'soccer' back then, being Aussie and liking AFL, Rugby and Cricket. In fact I've said it quite a few times, I actually fell in love with Barca before I fell in love with football (which was when Australia qualified for the World Cup around 2005). A lot of my friends had teams though, all Arsenal, Liverpool and Man United, other than my Argentine friend who liked River. So I wanted a team. I saw some highlights etc. of games and I thought Barca was a really 'alternate' team to like lol. Thats pretty laughable now... but I genuinely chose them because I thought they were nobodies compared to Manchester United or Arsenal- Australians like to support the underdog I saw some of the 1998 WC and liked Brazil because of Rivaldo and Ronaldo. And then Rivaldo was at Barca!

I bought the game Fifa 2001 in 2000 which helped me get to know all the players. So I started to follow Barca in the newspaper and watch some highlights on TV (Spanish football games were not shown...). They weren't great, coming 4th a lot back then it seemed. My favourite players were Rivaldo, Enrique, Guardiola and the young Xavi.

Enter 2002 WC, saw Rivaldo more etc. etc. and enter Ronaldinho

Out comes youtube, so I can start watching extended highlights of every match- yes, I searched for the longest ones because there was still no way of me watching the games here!

Obviously now Barca becomes more successful and I started really loving their football. My favourites were now Gio, Xavi, Deco, Ronnie and Eto'o. Now Champions League was always shown on an Australian TV station so I could watch their games, which started to breed obsession.

Interestingly, the first year I really went Barca crazy and checked the website like every day was 2006-2007... when we were great but won nothing. Then the next year, we were even worse, and I went to Barcelona and missed a game at the Camp Nou because they changed the date...The hard times normally bring you even closer to the club and so when Pep came and success it was just fantastic

Now I can say I've seen Barcelona twice at the Camp Nou... displaying what I truly believe to be the greatest football ever... The 5-0 Classico, will be one of my life memories, not many can say they've seen a Classico... and only a few can say they saw the most perfect display ever

Sorry, that came out as a long story... maybe somebody will be interested lol.

In one word .... TRADITIONS !!

Because they kept all the beautiful traditions of football alive, while a lot of teams already lost it .

a lot of teams play to win and nothing wrong with that, but BARCA play to enjoy, entertain the fans and try to win.

i started supporting BARCA in 2005 when my dad tried to convince me of supporting Madrid (the team he supported), but my heart has already been in love with BARCA

Cant remember the exact year, could be 1997-1998 but dont quote me on it.

It was strange really, I was just a huge football fan. Watched International games (first tournament I remember clearly was Euro 94), watched the EPL (Arsenal were my favourite team) but I didnt support anyone. I just loved football and liked some individual players.

Some time around 97-98, playing football on the street as most do. The best player in our group, he came one day going on and on about a Barcelona and how great they are and how great they play, how great Rivaldo was.

Most of us, certainty I, had heard the name Barcelona before, I had even seen a few times as they had my hero Ronaldo in 1996. But after such a glowing review from the kid, I had to watch this team every chance I get. In fact since that day, I did just that and I was simply blown away.

Watching them week in and week out I became more and more of a fan, shirts, scarfs, everything.

my first game was a school trip to Barcelona around 2000 (again dont quote me on it). It was an art trip to see the Gaudi museum, but there was no way I wasnt going to see a game. Barcelona vs Valencia...lost 4-2 and the white hanky's were out in full force.

Despite the disappointing loss, nothing changed, I was a full fledged fan at this point, ever since and will always be.

I started watching Barca around 2005 because I was still getting out of my follow my national team only cave as the OP said and my father was pretty much just set on following only his local team from Argentina (Huracan) and other Argentine players.

So one day I was about 14-15 years old and my dad calls me up and we were just talking and he brings up football and says "Theres this new kid at Barcelona, and hes argentine." "Yeah so?" "Well there's something about him, he's special, he reminds me of Maradona, this kid can be great." I didn't think much of it but he gave me the youtube video of his first goal at Barcelona and I started watching him regularly when he was 18.

I still remember watching Messi score a hat trick against Real Madrid, one of my best moments watching football, after then I knew he was destined for greatness. But then come the injuries, he had alot of muscle problems and would get injured a couple times in one season it was sad and made me lose a bit of interest in football and Barcelona, after he returned from this toe/foot injury he started playing like a superhuman, he came back twice as good as he was before the injury, I guess the will to play just made him better.

My friends were all band wagoners, they either supported ManUre or Real Madrid, I was the only one that followed Barcelona, I always told them Messi was going to be the best (I'm not lying!) and they told me he sucked and that he was never going to make it, well whos laughing now haha. I guess now you guys can see where my almost unhealthy Messi love comes from now huh.

^ theres no such thing as unhealthy Messi love lol only not enough Messi love

I started to wath and support Barcelona when I saw them by accident on TV. It was the season when they bought Henke Larsson. I live in Sweden, and he is a big, big star here.

So, I saw him playing, him and the team were pretty good. Since that match, Ive always supported Barcelona, and I have barely missed a game since then.

@Lionel Messi

I was in the same situation like you when I became a Barca fan. Everyone I knew was Real Madrid or United etc etc, I was the only one who was a Barca fan

1998 I started watching barca, it was after seeing rivaldo in the WC. Then I watched the first clasico and switched

for me it was back when Figo was there... and when he left my bond with the club grew stronger, to me words can't explain how much I feel for the club

It was 2008 i guess.

I used to hate sports in general before I saw Barcelona play in late 2006. Just something about the build up play, sexy passing and the tiki taka that had me from the moment I saw them. And It was not just that they score amazing goals to! Unlike Arsenal JK!!!

In ..... I absoultly loved Ronnie, even though he was not as his peak at that point I knew there was something special about him.

The WC and FIFA also had an impact aswell. Although you cannot really play like barca do in fifa even though I try all the time with very little success damn you auto tackle .....

I also really liked Deco, Xavi,Inesta, Marquez, Etoo.For me these are the players that got me into that go me into football at all.

Then along came Messi !! Well hes been there for some time but hes one of my favorite as well that goes with out saying.


Needless to say I will always support Barca through the good times and they have turned me into a hardcore football fan ( like now! and the bad times!)

For me it was in 1999 on a vacation to Colombia. I was a 9 yr. old kid and ann older cousin of mine put me on to Barca while playing FIFA 97 on his computer, and he turned me into a fan. And I LOLd at freecats first reply in this topic!!!

Year 2000. and I was fan for few years when this pic is taken



Why? I don't know, I just did