This week work begins on the second phase of the restructuring and modernisation of FC Barcelona’s entrances and service areas, a project that started a year ago with the construction of the new Social Area and Auditori 1899. The finishing point will come at the end of the year when the Camp Nou is definitively reopened to the district of Les Corts in the form of a new entrance designed to benefit the connection between the Club’s premises and its neighbours, with the creation of new public spaces.

Access 14, in Av. Arístides Maillol, will become the main entrance to the ground, replacing the entrance in C/Joan XXIII. The new entrance will clearly separate the entrances for vehicles and pedestrians, with the latter now able to enter without being bothered on broad pavements. The steep slopes on the forecourt will also be eliminated, meaning that the Social Area and the Commercial Area (i.e. the Boulevard, the passage between the Palau Blaugrana and the FC Botiga Megastore) will be connected by a gardened area.

New Boulevard connection

The major conversion of the area will create a pleasant and comfortable walk between the new Social Area and the Museum and Ticketing Area, where the largest crowds of visitors tend to accumulate. The new connection will lead from Access 14 to Access 9, which will also be restored to welcome the thousands of visitors that come to the Camp Nou every year. In addition, a ramp for wheelchair users will be added to Access 15.

South Goal ticket booths to move

Another part of the project is the relocation of the South Goal ticket booths in Travessera de Les Corts to a new building with the corresponding services and features. It will be located beside a new square between the aforesaid Access 14 and the new Social Area. Likewise, the ‘La Caixa’ office will also be moved so that it can be entered directly from the street.

FC Barcelona, via FCB Viatges, is giving you the chance to travel with the players to this summer's pre-season matches.Members and fans can travel with the team on Saturday 20th July to Gdansk (Poland) and from 24th to 27th of July to Munich and Oslo, to take on Lechia Gdansk, Bayern Munich and Valerenga, Barça’s first opponents of the summer.

Travel with FCB to Gdansk

First up is a return trip to Gdansk on Saturday 20th July. The package includes a return charter flight, coach transfer to the city centre to do some pre-match sightseeing, transfer to the PGE Arena to watch Lechia Gdansk v FCB (kick-off 8.30 pm) and the return to Barcelona. The price is 345 euros per person (members) and 430 euros for non-members. The price of the match ticket will be confirmed later.

Gdansk is Poland’s main port and the fourth largest city in terms of the population. The buildings are painted in bright colours which gives the city an impressive yet cheerful appearance. The River Motlawa is the lifeblood of Gdansk and the heart of the leisure and tourist area.

Travel with FCB to Munich and Oslo

From 24th to 27th July, you can take in two matches on one trip. Visit the Allianz Arena to watch Barça play Bayern Munich and Oslo’s Ullevaal Stadion where Barça takes on Valerenga. The package includes charter flights, coach transfers and hotel accommodation in Munich and Oslo. The price is 670 euros per person sharing a double room (members) and 840 euros for non-members. The price of the match tickets will be confirmed later as will the single room supplement.

Munich is the capital of Bavaria, one of the economic motors of the German economy and the country’s third largest city, after Berlin and Hamburg. Oslo is the capital city of Norway and offers plenty of interest for the tourist, including the Vigeland Sculpture Park, the Norwegian National Opera and Ballet and the Akershus Fortress.

For more information about either of the trips, please contact any office of Halcón Viatges or Viatges Ecuador, or phone 935 215 519.

The first week of July saw a series of news items concerning Messi, Neymar, Bojan, the Roller Hockey squad a nd the draw for next year’s Euroleague.

MONDAY 1st JULY

Neymar and Alves figure in Brazil’s 3-0 win over Spain to take the Confederations Cup.. Neymar Jr and Iniesta, were named first and second in the Player of the Tournament Award.

The Club announced that they would not be making an offer to Sarunas Jasikevicius, CJ Wallace and Loukas Mavrokefalidis for next season and that they would therefore be leaving next year. A qualified offer for Joe Ingles has been made.

The Club announced that they would not be making an offer to Sarunas Jasikevicius, CJ Wallace and Loukas Mavrokefalidis for next season and that they would therefore be leaving next year. A qualified offer for Joe Ingles has been made.

TUESDAY 2nd JULY

Board spokesperson Toni Freixa, announces that members will have until October 31st to update their census details.

WEDNESDAY 3rd JULY

Leo Messi and Neymar Jr played against each other in an exhibition game in Peru. Both Barça players scored two goals.

The Roller Hockey squad had its first reinforcement of the season when FC Barcelona reached agreement with Raul Marin for the next two seasons, with an option for a third

Tickets go on sale for the 48th Joan Gamper Trophy. Tickets are on sale on the Internet from 9€

THURSDAY 4h JULY

The draw for the 2013/14 season’s Euroleague took plave and Barça were drawn in a group with CSKA Moscow, Fenerbahçe, Budivelnik Kíev, Partizan Belgrade and Nanterre.

Rafa Alcàntara signed a new deal with the Club to keep him at Barça until 30th June 2016.

FRIDAY 5th JULY

The Club announces that Bojan Krkic will be sent out on loan to Ajax Amsterdam next season, with an option for the following year.

SATURDAY 6TH JULY

The Spanish Under 20 team with Barça’s Gerard Deulofeu are eliminated at the Under 20 World Cup after a goal from Avenattiin extra time gives them a 1-0 win.

This video features the opinions of a number of VIPs – from ex-Barça stars to world famous sportsmen -who have visited the Camp Nou this season to see Tito Vilanova’s team in action

Barça’s away kit for next season which features the Catalan flag as the basis of its design, has proved a real winner with Barça fans and members. Such has been its success that the kit has sold more than any other in the Club’s history after just 21 days on sale.

First kits specially numbered

A special limited edition numbered kit from 1 to 2013 was used for the launch at  23,00 on June 19^th 2013 and hundreds of fans filled the FCBotiga Megastore at the Camp Nou to get what is set to be a unique Club strip.

 BUY Away Kit

The Club Museum has opened a section for visitors dedicated exclusively to Leo Messi. The Espai Leo Messi occupies70 m² of the first floor of the Camp Nou Experience, where visitors can see the Argentinean’s four Ballons D’Or and two Golden Boots. This is the first time the Club have dedicated an exclusive space to a player who is still active.

All Messi’s goals on two interactive tables

As well as his personal awards, the space also includes two interactive tables with all Messi’s goals for the Club and visitors can also vote for what they consider to have been his best goal in Barça colours.

Museum Director Jordi Penas explained that the space was created in answer to a real demand from the Barça fans who have been through the Camp Nou Experience:“the visitors really wanted something like this - they want to feel closer to Barça’s hero”. The space also increases the offer at the Museum, as Penas explained:“it makes it clear that Barça is about emotions and sensations and that as well as showing our history, the Club is also a world of excitement and fantasy”. And who better to show that excitement and fantasy than Leo Messi !

22 League and 4 Champions League Trophies on show

The Camp Nou Experience is open between 9.30 and 19.00 from Monday to Saturday and from 9.30 to 14.30 on Sundays and holidays. As well as the Espai Messi, the Club’s 22 league trophies and 4 Champions Leagues are also on display. The Changing Rooms, Press Room and Players Tunnel can also be visited.

Camp Nou Experience Tickets!

The second week of July, with the players due back at work very shortly, produced plenty of news stories related with the Barça world, and here we look back at some of the biggest:

MONDAY JULY 8

An agreement in principle is announced for the transfer of David Villa to Atlético Madrid. The Asturian scored 48 goals in 119 matches for Barça.

TUESDAY JULY 9

The fixture list for the 2013/14 Liga season is announced. The first clásico will be in Barcelona on October 26/27.

Leo Messi one of the nominees for UEFA player of the year 2012/13. The winner will be announced on August 29 in Monaco.

WEDNESDAY JULY 10

FC Barcelona and Everton have agreed on the loan of Gerard Deulofeu to the Premiership club for the 2013/14 season.

FRIDAY JULY 12

The reserve side took to the pitch for the first time since last season on Friday to prepare for the upcoming 2013/14 season

SATURDAY JULY 13

Kuala Lumpur prepares for its first ever visit from FC Barcelona. The Catalans will be taking on a selection of the best players in the Malaysian championship.

FC Barcelona and Panasonic Corporation have signed a global collaboration agreement by which the Japanese company will become an official partner of the Club and will benefit from marketing and visibility rights for the next three years.

As a result of the agreement, which will continue until 2016, Panasonic will obtain a series of rights, including among others brand association, the use of the Barça image and the benefits included in the sponsorship programme. Panasonic thus acquires the right to call itself an official partner and to be the Official FC Barcelona TV device.

The Japanese brand will henceforth be collaborating with FC Barcelona in commercial activities around the world and will be conducting activities related with the promotion of VIERA as the “Official FC Barcelona Television Device”, including the 3D display of matches in stores, shop windows, product campaigns and the use of the Barça image and brand on its website and Facebook profile.

The association of the image of FC Barcelona as one of the strongest and most popular teams in the world and that of VIERA, which is aiming to become the leading brand in the TV market, is the key to this new link between Barça and the Japanese company.

Panasonic is a Japanese multinational that offers a wide range of audiovisual technologies, including wide screens and professional broadcast equipment. Through the use of these technologies in its televisions and other domestic appliances, Panasonic will continue to create an environment in which people all around the world will be able to enjoy the passion for sport in simple but high quality fashion

Xavi Hernández is the winner of the fourth edition of the Barça Players Award, which is awarded by the Barça Players Association to the first team player who demonstrated the most fair play in the previous season. The jury, who met at the Camp Nou this afternoon, picked Xavi as the winner from among the six finalists – all the finalists were selected by popular vote. The other five finalists were Abidal, Iniesta, Messi, Pedro and Puyol.

The voting period opened on 2 June with the participation of President Sandro Rosell, and it closed on 30 June. Individuals could to cast their vote on the Facebook page of the Barça Players Association or on Twitter, with the hashtag #PremiFairPlay.

This is Xavi’s second Fair Play award in as many years as the midfielder picked up the award for the 2011/12 season earlier this year.

Personality and solidarity

The jury, which was made up of representatives from different sporting institutions, press and FC Barcelona members, noted “the player’s great personality and his capacity to synthesize and wholly transmit the values of barcelonismo,” influenced their final decision.

Throughout his career, Xavi has often stood in solidarity with those who needed it most. For example, in last season’s edition of the Champions League, in the quarter finals against PSG, the player scored from the penalty spot. Xavi dedicated the goal to a child who is battling leukemia; he also wore a shirt in support of the child.

Bojan and Iniesta

Xavi leads his team-mates when it comes to Fair Play awards, as he has won two throughout his career. The winners from previous editions are Andrés Iniesta (2010/11) and Bojan Krkic (2009/10). 

Members can buy tickets for all the team’s 2013/14 home league games except the Real Madrid match from Monday July 22nd with a 20% discount for all but the Atletico Madrid game (5%). Tickets will go on sale to the general public from Tuesday July 23rd.

Tickets can be acquired via the Club website (www.fcbarcelona.com) and the Club ticket offices, which will be open from 9.00 until 19.30.

For the 2013/14 season, the Club have created the ‘Lateral 4a Graderia’ area in the central part of the general stand.

Ticket details for the Barça-Madrid game, which will be played on the weekend of October 27th will be released at a later date.

Club President Sandro Rosell and Director of Football Andoni Zubizarreta will give a press conference at the Ciutat Esportiva at 20.30 this Friday evening.

The press conference will be streamed live on the Club website.

From July 31 through August 2, FC Barcelona will celebrate the 2nd Festa Barça. Coinciding with the run up to the Joan Gamper Trophy (August 2) and the XXXIV Supporters Clubs World Congress (August 1 and 2), the Club will set aside space in front of the 1899 Auditorium which will serve as a meeting point for Club members and peñistas. The Festa Barça, which is scheduled to open at 12.00 on the 31st, will have the following hours of operation: Wednesday, from 12.00 to 23.00, Thursday, from 11.00 to 23.00, and Friday, from 11.00 to 15.00.

Club members are encouraged to bring one guest, while peñistas need to register to gain access to the space.

All kinds of distractions

The Festa Barça will include a wide variety of activities. The youngsters will be able to to enjoy a chutometro (inflatable goals), the Audi zone’s Attitudes of Education Circuit and a road safety course, water slides and fútbol rápidos, among other activities. There will also be musical performances throughout the three days, in addition to a rest area for Club members and peñistas.

The FC Barcelona Foundation will also have a presence at the Festa Barça. The Foundation will organise a series of workshops dedicated to raising awareness around healthy eating habits, and there will be a tent where attendees will be able to write messages which will then be projected on a massive screen in the middle of the enclosure.

In the 1899 Auditorium, the Club will set up a giant screen which will air the four Champions League finals won by FC Barcelona in 1992, 2006, 2009 and 2011. In addition, the FCB Museum will have a display titled “The Museum that you don’t see,” where little known items and relics of Barça history will be on display to the public. There will also be chess competition, botifarra games (card game) and a PlayStation zone. Club members who what to register for the chess competition can do so here. Registration for the chess competition closes on the 29th at 15.00.

FC Barcelona’s brand is one of the most followed on Twitter, according to Twitter Counter. The sum of followers who follow Barça’s accounts on the microblogging site reaches 17,883,256 in total. YouTube has the most followers with 30,542,900, followed by Instagram (23,022,253) and Twitter (21,181,836).

In addition to the Spanish and Catalan accounts, Barça have six official language accounts on Twitter: English, French, Indonesian, Arabic, Japanese and Brazilian.

The most followed sports club

FC Barcelona, the fourth most followed brand on Twitter, are the most followed sports club on the platform. Real Madrid are second with 11,343,490 followers and the NBA is third with 7,691,887.

Award to the best team on social media

Last May, the Club received the award for the company that best manages social media in the world from the Social Stars Awards 2013. Over 63 million fans follow Barça in the online space.

Most followed brands on Twitter:

1. YouTube (@YouTube, 30,542,900 followers)
2. Instagram (@instagram, 23,022,253)
3. Twitter (@twitter, 21,181,836)
4. FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona, @FCBarcelona_cat, @FCBarcelona_es, @FCBarcelona_fra, @FCBarcelona_id, @FCBarcelona_ara, @FCBarcelona_jap, @FCBarcelona_br, 17,883,256)
5. Twitter en español (@twitter_es, 12,608,227)
6. CNN Breaking News (@cnnbrk, 12,398,3804)
7. Real Madrid F.C. (@realmadrid, 11,343,490)
8. UberSocial (@UberSoc, 10,548,844)
9. Facebook (@Facebook, 9,905,829)
10. CNN (@cnn, 9,368,645)
11. TwitPic (@twitpic, 9,010,205)
12. The New York Times (@nytimes, 8,797,650)
13. MTV (@MTV, 8,739,9562)
14. NBA (@NBA, 7,691,887)
15. ESPN (@espn, 6,795,244)
16. BBC Breaking News (@BBCBreaking, 6,461,8879)
17. Google (@google, 6,409,090)
18. Funny Or Die (@funnyordie, 6,357,556)
19. Breaking News (@BreakingNews, 5,911,482)
20. OMG Facts (@OMGFacts, 5,686,314)

Barça, through its vice president of the social area, Jordi Cardoner, has expressed its condolences for Wednesday’s train accident in Galicia and has sympathised with the families of the victims. “It is a sad day following the rail accident in Santiago. From here, in the name of the institution and my fellow board members, we send our most sincere condolences to the families and friends of the victims”, he said. “FC Barcelona, like any other sports club, is sensitive to accidents like these that remind us so much about our priorities in life”.

Minute’s silence before training

In addition to the sympathy expressed by the board, the Barça first team observed a minute’s silence before training in the Bislett Stadion, Oslo. The players will all be wearing black armbands in Saturday’s game with Valerenga in memory of the victims of the tragic accident, and there shall be another minute’s silence before the match starts.

Many of the players have all expressed their own condolences in the form of messages sent from their social network accounts.

Today saw the beginning of a historic partnership formed between Africa’s premier Lager, CASTLE Lager, and one of the world’s most popular football clubs FC Barcelona, when a three-year partnership was signed announcing CASTLE Lager the Official African Beer of FC Barcelona.

The partnership, signed at the renowned home of FC Barcelona, Camp Nou, positions CASTLE Lager as the official beer brand for any activity that FC Barcelona engages in across key markets on the African continent. The agreement will be exclusive to CASTLE Lager in most African regions, except for certain select countries where CASTLE Milk Stout will be the Official African Stout of FC Barcelona.

“We are delighted about signing this partnership with a world renowned brand such as CASTLE Lager and CASTLE Milk Stout. We identify with CASTLE Lager which, similar to our club, holds more than 100 years of history and great tradition. We also share with them our passion for football and supporters in a very important market such as Africa,” said Mr. Javier Faus, Vice President of the Economic and Strategic area at FC Barcelona.

This is the first time that FC Barcelona has signed a partnership agreement with an African based company, which will open the door for FC Barcelona fans in select countries across the continent to have easier access to their favourite club, merchandise, memorabilia and the chance to win a trip to travel to Barcelona to visit the club.

The fact that FC Barcelona has decided to partner with Africa’s premier beer brand will quickly boost the team’s popularity on the continent and allow it and its payers to reach geographies not previously considered,” commented David Carruthers, Marketing Director, SABMiller Africa.

The CASTLE Lager brand has a longstanding involvement in football in Africa spanning a period of 85 years and currently sponsors various football leagues in Zimbabwe, Swaziland, Botswana and Lesotho. In addition, CASTLE Lager is also a sponsor of two regional football competitions, namely the COSAFA Cup held in Southern Africa and CECAFA held in East Africa.

With European football having gained immense popularity with fans across the African continent, CASTLE Lager has for many years been the broadcast partner of various football competitions, providing fans with the opportunity to watch televised matches of the European Championships, the Barclays Premier League and the Spanish La Liga.

CASTLE Lager and CASTLE Milk Stout consumers, along with FC Barcelona fans across the African continent can now look forward great football experiences, as this partnership brings them the best of both.

On Saturday August 3rd, the day following the Joan Gamper Trophy between Barça and Santos, an official FC Barcelona delegation will travel to Palestine and Israel for a historic trip to strengthen institutional ties with the leaders of the two communities and build bridges of dialogue for peace.

The Peace Tour is an initiative that has the invaluable support of the Palestinian and Israeli governments and, in addition to institutional visits, includes two football clinics for peace which will feature all the members of Tata Martino’s team, including Leo Messi, the new signing Neymar Jr and the rest of the internationals. These athletic activities are organised by FC Barcelona with the collaboration of the Israeli and Palestinian governments.

On Saturday August 3rd, the FC Barcelona delegation will arrive at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv at 14.30. The delegation will be led by President Sandro Rosell, the directors Josep Maria Bartomeu, Javier Faus, Jordi Cardoner, Jordi Moix, Ramon Pont, Dídac Lee, Josep Ramon Vidal-Abarca and football director Andoni Zubizarreta. After crossing into Palestine, the delegation will visit the Basilica of the Nativity in Bethlehem, and at 18.00, they are scheduled to arrive at the Muqata, headquarters of the Palestinian president, where an official reception will take place with the President of the Palestinian National Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, and local authorities.

The delegation will then make its way to the Municipal Stadium in Dura (near Hebron), which has a capacity of 24,500 spectators, where the first football clinic of the Peace Tour will be hosted. The clinic will consist of workshops and a diverse array of mini-games in which dozens of Palestinian children will participate and interact with the FC Barcelona players.

Official reception with Netanyahu and Peres, and the second clinic

The following day, Sunday August 4th, the delegation and the team will visit the Western Wall in Jerusalem before the official reception with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli President Shimon Peres in the presidential residence. That afternoon, at around 18.00, the team is scheduled to arrive to Bloomfield Stadium in Tel Aviv-Jaffa, which has a capacity of 14,500 spectators, where the second clinic will be hosted. Up to 12,000 children are expected to attend the clinic, including children from The Peres Center for Peace.

As a part of clinic, the Ministry of Education, headed by Minister Rabbi Shay Piron, will launch “The Other is Me” initiative which will take place in schools through the 2013/14 scholastic year. The initiative's goal is to increase tolerance and peace in the country’s educational system.

The trip to Palestine and Israel will conclude before midnight on Sunday, when the expedition will board a charter flight that will take them to Bangkok, the first stop on FC Barcelona’s 2013 Asia Tour.

FC Barcelona continue to improve and provide more services for the thousands of people who visit the Club, both on match days and other days. This July, the Club have installed six automatic ticket machines for the Camp Nou Experience – which includes a tour of the stadium and a visit to the museum-  on the Boulevard next to Access number 9. The machines should help alleviate the queues to back tickets for the Experience and offer the opportunity to buy tickets in four different languages, as well as allowing payment by credit card.

After the first few days, 10% of the total number of tickets have been sold on these six machines and the number could be increased to 10 in a second phase, during which there are other plans to bring in similar machines for buying tickets for football, basketball, and other games at the Stadium.

Information point for visitors

Alongside the machines, the Club have also installed an Information Point for visitors, where visitors can obtain information about all the services and activities available at the Club from staff who are able to respond in up to six languages and also help any person who is having problems with the ticket machines.

A new cafeteria, ice cream parlour and a sandwich shop are also due to be opened in the same area in September, which at the moment has a small snack bar.

Museum Hall enlarged

As well as the new services on the Boulevard, the Hall of the Museum has also been enlarged, which will allow the Museum to offer new services, such as a new audio guide system and a new information desk.

FC Barcelona have signed a deal with the Italian company Fashion Box, which boasts a series of top quality denim clothes lines under the names of Replay, Replay & Sons, We Are Replay and Red Seal, as the official sponsor of formal clothing and footwear for the first team and the rest of the Club’s sportsmen and women. The agreement is for four years.

Replay will create both an official formal clothing and a “smart casual” line for the first team. The deal between the Italian company and Barça – who are famous for their singularly attractive style of play, represents a pioneering commitment to innovation. Replay will invent a new way to use denim, where the traditional jeans concept embraces the realm of fine tailoring. The famous indigo fabric will, for the FC Barcelona athletes, become a deluxe textile creating a unique and exclusive superlight suit.

Fashion Box CEO, Matteo Sinigaglia, commented: “We are more than thrilled with this alliance. Both Replay and FC Barcelona make the maximum effort to get excellence in their respective fields and Barça are not just a partner for us, they are also a great source of inspiration. This is the first time that a denim company have moved into the world of football. We are certain that the product we are developing for them will surprise the whole world”.

FC Barcelona’s Director General, Antoni Rossich, also expressed his satisfaction with the deal: “ Fashion Box is a leading company in its sector and Replay is a well-known prestigious brand, which like our teams, boasts its own unique personality. Its products are fresh, dynamic and young and have a style which we feel clearly identified with. We also share a clear commitment to the global market - in our case with our fans and in theirs with their clients throughout the world”.

Shared international commitment

Fashion Box, which was founded in 1981, has its HQ in Asolo (Treviso), but currently sells to over 50 countries all over the world - in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, America and Africa . The company has its own chain of 200 independent shops and a distribution network which covers more than 3,000 multi-brand selling points. Fashion Box has sales of 219 million Euros annually, with exports representing approximately 85% of the total. The company promotes and markets casual wear, shoes and accessories for men, women and children under the brand names Replay, Replay & Sons, We are Replay and Red Seal.

The 2nd Festa Barça is just around the corner. This Wednesday, at 12.00, the vice-president of the Social Area, Jordi Cardoner, will officially kick off the event which is slated as the most Blaugrana of parties. Preparations for the 2nd Festa Barça finalised this Tuesday at the Camp Nou, and everything is set for the festivities to begin on Wednesday.

The schedule for this year’s Festa Barça is as follows: from 12.00 to 23.00 on the 31st, from 11.00 to 23.00 on the 1st and 11.00 to 15.00 on the 2nd. In order to gain entrance to the Fest Barça, Club members must show their Club photo ID, while supporter club members will have to show appropriate accreditation.

The old Masía opens its doors at 12.30

One of the big attractions of this year’s Festa Barça is the old Masía building. The old farmhouse  will open its doors this Wednesday at 12.30. Club members and supporter club members who attend the Festa Barça will be able to visit the building throughout the event. The old Masía closes at 20.00 on the 31st and the 1st and at 15.00 on the 2nd.

Activities for all ages

In addition to the old Masía, Barça have planned a wide array of activities for the attendees. The youngest can hone their skills at the chutómetro [inflatable goals], swing by the Audi Zone, enjoy water slides and fútbol rápido, among other activities. There will also be a rest and relaxation area in addition to musical performances which are scheduled throughout the three-day event.

The FC Barcelona Foundation will also have its own space at the Festa Barça. The Foundation has set up a series of workshops in order to increase awareness around healthy eating habits in addition to a large tent where attendees will be able to write messages which will be displayed on a massive screen.

Inside the Auditori 1899 there will be a screen that will display the four Champions League finals won by FC Barcelona in 1992, 2006, 2009 and 2011. The FCB Museum will also have its own space: “The Museum that you don’t see.” This display will have various rarely seen items from the Club's history.

In addition, the Auditori 1899 is also the venue where the card, chess and PlayStation competitions will be held.

Antoni Ramallets left us this Tuesday at the age of 89. Here’s a series of stories about the man who was known as “The cat with wings:”

On various occasions he mentioned why he decided to be a keeper: “I was fat when I was young and I didn’t like to run. One day I had to play football with my friends and everyone was in agreement: ‘This guy, he doesn’t like to run, he should be the keeper. Besides, he’s fat, that way he’ll cover more of the goal.’”

Ramallets might have been a bit conceited. Legend has it that he kept a mirror fixed to his right goal post. After a play, he would check to see if his hair had become uncombed.

A Barcelona journalist once wrote: “Ramallets, he missed them all.” The opposing team had only shot on goal once, and it had gone in. It is true, however, that Ramallets had the most thankless and difficult job in the world of football ... being Barça’s goalkeeper.

His fame soon extended beyond the borders of Spain and Catalonia. He once received an overseas letter that only read “Ramallets-España” accompanied by a sketch of the keeper in goal.

He always repeated the same ritual before a match: he went to his goal, lifted his hand gesturing a greeting, and then threw his gloves and hat into the back of the net.

In 1954, when he was in his prime, he featured in a film alongside Josep Samitier named “Eleven pairs of boots” directed by Francisco Rovira-Veleta.

One of the first things the controversial manager Helenio Herrera said to Ramallets when he arrived in Barcelona in 1958 was: “Some directors who know nothing about football told me that we need to find a keeper, that you’re getting old. What should I tell them?” Ramallets responded: “It’s true, they know nothing.” Then Herrera pulled out a list with the names of four goalkeepers on it and ripped it up.

A couple of days before he retired, he was given a letter signed by “the Blaugrana family.” Alone in the dressing room, Ramallets read the letter which simply said: “Without you Barça will never be the same.” The letter touched Ramallets deeply.

In the 1970s, after he had retired from football, he was an officer in a bank until he retired. It often was the case that Barça fans would go to the bank under the guise of requesting a small loan to engage the Barça legend in conversation.