Camp de Les Corts, commonly referred to as
Les Corts, was a sports
stadiumA modern stadium is a place, or venue, for outdoor sports, concerts or other events, consisting of a field or stage partly or completely surrounded by a structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit and view the event.-History of the stadium:The word originates from the Greek word...
in
BarcelonaBarcelona is the capital, most populous city of the Autonomous Community of Catalonia and the second largest city in Spain, with a population of 1,615,908 in 2008. It is the 11th-most populous municipality in the European Union and sixth-most populous urban area in the European Union after Paris,...
,
CataloniaCatalonia is an Autonomous Community in northeast Spain. The capital city is Barcelona.Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an official population of 7,364,078. It borders France and Andorra to the north, Aragon to the west, the Valencian Community to the south, and the...
,
SpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.
[The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though España , Estado español and Nación española are used interchangeably...]
. It was the home ground for
FC BarcelonaFútbol Club Barcelona , also known simply as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça , is a football club based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The team was founded in 1899 by a group of Swiss, English and Spanish men led by Joan Gamper. The club has become a Catalan institution, hence the motto "Més que...
until the club moved to the
Camp NouThe Camp Nou , often erroneously called the Nou Camp is a football stadium in Barcelona, Spain. The stadium has been the home of FC Barcelona since its construction in 1957. It is a UEFA 5-star rated stadium, and has hosted numerous international matches at senior level, and UEFA Champions League...
in 1957.
Les Corts was built as a result of a long-term plan by the club president,
Joan GamperJoan Gamper also known as Joan Kamper, Hans Gamper, Johannes Gamper and Hans Kamper) was a Swiss football pioneer, player and club president. He founded football clubs in Switzerland and Catalonia , most notably FC Barcelona...
, to provide
FC BarcelonaFútbol Club Barcelona , also known simply as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça , is a football club based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The team was founded in 1899 by a group of Swiss, English and Spanish men led by Joan Gamper. The club has become a Catalan institution, hence the motto "Més que...
with its own stadium. It replaced the
Carrer Indústria as the home of
FC BarcelonaFútbol Club Barcelona , also known simply as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça , is a football club based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The team was founded in 1899 by a group of Swiss, English and Spanish men led by Joan Gamper. The club has become a Catalan institution, hence the motto "Més que...
. Inaugurated in 1922, the initial capacity was 20,000.
Camp de Les Corts, commonly referred to as
Les Corts, was a sports
stadiumA modern stadium is a place, or venue, for outdoor sports, concerts or other events, consisting of a field or stage partly or completely surrounded by a structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit and view the event.-History of the stadium:The word originates from the Greek word...
in
BarcelonaBarcelona is the capital, most populous city of the Autonomous Community of Catalonia and the second largest city in Spain, with a population of 1,615,908 in 2008. It is the 11th-most populous municipality in the European Union and sixth-most populous urban area in the European Union after Paris,...
,
CataloniaCatalonia is an Autonomous Community in northeast Spain. The capital city is Barcelona.Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an official population of 7,364,078. It borders France and Andorra to the north, Aragon to the west, the Valencian Community to the south, and the...
,
SpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.
[The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though España , Estado español and Nación española are used interchangeably...]
. It was the home ground for
FC BarcelonaFútbol Club Barcelona , also known simply as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça , is a football club based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The team was founded in 1899 by a group of Swiss, English and Spanish men led by Joan Gamper. The club has become a Catalan institution, hence the motto "Més que...
until the club moved to the
Camp NouThe Camp Nou , often erroneously called the Nou Camp is a football stadium in Barcelona, Spain. The stadium has been the home of FC Barcelona since its construction in 1957. It is a UEFA 5-star rated stadium, and has hosted numerous international matches at senior level, and UEFA Champions League...
in 1957.
Les Corts was built as a result of a long-term plan by the club president,
Joan GamperJoan Gamper also known as Joan Kamper, Hans Gamper, Johannes Gamper and Hans Kamper) was a Swiss football pioneer, player and club president. He founded football clubs in Switzerland and Catalonia , most notably FC Barcelona...
, to provide
FC BarcelonaFútbol Club Barcelona , also known simply as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça , is a football club based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The team was founded in 1899 by a group of Swiss, English and Spanish men led by Joan Gamper. The club has become a Catalan institution, hence the motto "Més que...
with its own stadium. It replaced the
Carrer Indústria as the home of
FC BarcelonaFútbol Club Barcelona , also known simply as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça , is a football club based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The team was founded in 1899 by a group of Swiss, English and Spanish men led by Joan Gamper. The club has become a Catalan institution, hence the motto "Més que...
. Inaugurated in 1922, the initial capacity was 20,000. The first game played at the ground was between
FC BarcelonaFútbol Club Barcelona , also known simply as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça , is a football club based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The team was founded in 1899 by a group of Swiss, English and Spanish men led by Joan Gamper. The club has become a Catalan institution, hence the motto "Més que...
and St. Mirren. On May 13 1923 the stadium hosted the
Copa del ReyThe Copa del Rey is an annual cup competition for Spanish football teams. Its full name is Campeonato de España - Copa de Su Majestad El Rey Don Juan Carlos I , referring to the current King of Spain, Juan Carlos I of Spain; it has been known by various names over the years.First played in 1902, FC...
final between
Athletic BilbaoAthletic Club, commonly known as Athletic Bilbao in English, is a football club from Bilbao in Biscay, Basque Country, 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. In the historical classification of La Liga...
and
CE EuropaClub 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 on December 21 1924, Les Corts hosted a game between
SpainThe Spanish national football team represents Spain in international football and is controlled by the . The majority of Spain's matches are held at stadia in Madrid and Valencia. The Spanish side are commonly referred to as La Furia Roja .Spain are the current European champions, having won the...
and
AustriaThe Austria national football team is the association football team that represents the country of Austria in international competition and is controlled by the Austrian Football Association ....
.
On June 24 1925 the stadium was the scene of an incident that saw it closed for six months. During a game,
FC BarcelonaFútbol Club Barcelona , also known simply as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça , is a football club based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The team was founded in 1899 by a group of Swiss, English and Spanish men led by Joan Gamper. The club has become a Catalan institution, hence the motto "Més que...
fans jeered the Spanish national anthem and then applauded
God Save the King, performed by a visiting
British Royal MarineThe Royal Marines are the marine corps and amphibious infantry of the United Kingdom and, along with the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, form the Naval Service. They are also the United Kingdom's specialists in amphibious warfare, including the operation of landing craft; mountain warfare;...
band. The dictatorship of
Primo de RiveraPrimo de Rivera is a Spanish family prominent in politics of the 19th and 20th centuries:*Fernando Primo de Rivera, Spanish politician and soldier, 1831-1921*Miguel Primo de Rivera , dictator of Spain from 23 September 1923 to 1930...
accused
Joan GamperJoan Gamper also known as Joan Kamper, Hans Gamper, Johannes Gamper and Hans Kamper) was a Swiss football pioneer, player and club president. He founded football clubs in Switzerland and Catalonia , most notably FC Barcelona...
of promoting
Catalan nationalismCatalan nationalism, or Catalanism , is a political movement advocating for either further political autonomy or full independence of Catalonia....
. Les Corts was shut down and Gamper was expelled from
SpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.
[The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though España , Estado español and Nación española are used interchangeably...]
.
The stadium was the home of
FC BarcelonaFútbol Club Barcelona , also known simply as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça , is a football club based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The team was founded in 1899 by a group of Swiss, English and Spanish men led by Joan Gamper. The club has become a Catalan institution, hence the motto "Més que...
during two of its most successful eras. During the 1920s with coach
Jack GreenwellJack Greenwell is a former English footballer and manager. He served as manager of Barcelona for seven consecutive seasons, a record that has only been beaten by Johan Cruyff and later had a second spell as Barcelona manager...
and players like
Paulino AlcántaraPaulino Alcántara Riestrá was a Filipino football player and manager who spent most of his playing career at FC Barcelona and was the first Filipino and Asian player to play for a European club. He also played for Catalonia, the Philippines and Spain...
,
SagibarbáEmilio Sagi Liñán , was a former footballer who played as a left-winger for FC Barcelona, the Catalan XI and Spain during the 1920s and 1930s. He was the son of, Emilio Sagi Barbá, the Catalan baritone singer, and as a result, was widely referred to as Sagibarbá...
,
Ricardo ZamoraRicard Zamora i Martínez was a Spanish footballer and manager. He played as a goalkeeper for, among others, RCD Espanyol, FC Barcelona and Madrid CF. As an international he played for both the Catalan XI and Spain...
,
Josep SamitierJosep Samitier Vilalta , also known as José Samitier , was a Spanish footballer, manager and scout who played for FC Barcelona, Madrid CF, OGC Nice, the Catalan XI and Spain...
,
Félix SesúmagaFélix Sesúmaga Ugarte was a Spanish Basque footballer during the 1910s and the 1920s. Born in Lejona, Vizcaya, he played as a forward for Arenas Club de Getxo, FC Barcelona, Racing de Sama de Langreo, Athletic Bilbao and Spain...
and
Franz PlatkoFerenc Plattkó also known Franz Platko Kopiletz, Francisco Platko , also known as Ferenc Platko or Francisco Platko, was a Hungarian footballer and manager...
, the club dominated the Campionat de Catalunya and emerged as one of the top clubs in
SpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.
[The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though España , Estado español and Nación española are used interchangeably...]
. The club built on this success and also won the first ever
La LigaThe Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, in terms of sponsorship, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional football league in Spain...
while based at Les Corts.
The club enjoyed another golden age during the 1940s and 1950s when players such as
RamalletsAntonio Ramallets Simón is a former Spanish footballer and manager. He played as a goalkeeper and spent most of his career at CF Barcelona. Ramallets won the Zamora Trophy as the best goalkeeper in La Liga on five occasions during the 1950s and early 1960s. He also played for both Spain and the ...
,
VelascoVelasco, full name Juan Zambudio Velasco, was a Spanish football goalkeeper, who played for Mollet and FC Barcelona. He retired playing in CE Sabadell FC....
,
Joan SegarraJoan Segarra Iracheta was a Spanish footballer, captain of the "Barça of the Five Trophies", one of the best teams that FC Barcelona have had in their history...
,
Ladislao KubalaLászló Kubala Stecz , also referred to as Kubala Stécz László, or Ladislav "Laci" Kubala was a footballer and manager who played as a forward with, among others, Ferencváros TC, ŠK Slovan Bratislava, Vasas SC, FC Barcelona and RCD Espanyol...
,
Luis SuárezLuis Suárez Miramontes is a Spanish former footballer and manager. He played as a midfielder for Deportivo de La Coruña, CD España Industrial, CF Barcelona, Inter Milan, Sampdoria and Spain. Suárez who usually played as an inside left, is regarded as one of Spain's greatest players...
,
Sandor KocsisSándor Kocsis Péter was a Hungarian footballer who played for Ferencváros TC, Budapest Honvéd, Young Fellows Zürich, CF Barcelona and Hungary. During the 1950s, along with Ferenc Puskás, Zoltán Czibor, József Bozsik and Nándor Hidegkuti, he was one of the legendary Mighty Magyars...
and
Zoltán CziborZoltán Czibor Suhai , also referred to as Czibor Zoltán, was a Hungarian footballer who played for several Hungarian clubs, including Ferencváros TC and Honvéd, and Hungary before joining CF Barcelona. Czibor played as a left-winger or striker and was notable for having a powerful shot, world class...
saw the team win numerous trophies. By the late 1940s
FC BarcelonaFútbol Club Barcelona , also known simply as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça , is a football club based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The team was founded in 1899 by a group of Swiss, English and Spanish men led by Joan Gamper. The club has become a Catalan institution, hence the motto "Més que...
had outgrown Les Corts. The stadium had been extended on several occasions, reaching a final capacity of 60,000. However there was no room for further expansion and in 1950 the club began to make plans for a new stadium, the
Camp NouThe Camp Nou , often erroneously called the Nou Camp is a football stadium in Barcelona, Spain. The stadium has been the home of FC Barcelona since its construction in 1957. It is a UEFA 5-star rated stadium, and has hosted numerous international matches at senior level, and UEFA Champions League...
.
External links