Some will merely perceive it as the efficient marketing campaign run by the club and symbolised by tourists wandering around the Ramblas with the latest Barça jersey on their shoulders. After all, the FC Barcelona is currently the second most profitable football team in the world behind their eternal Madrilène rival (Real Madrid). (more information here). Nevertheless, reducing the reach of the club to economic considerations only would be underestimating it greatly. Over the last few years, the club has not only been considered as a role model on the field but also as an omnipresent component in the social life of Catalonia conveying strong values admired by many – but obviously not fully grasped by all average football fans worldwide.

On the pitch, the recent titles acquired by the club speak for themselves. There is no doubt that the FC Barcelona has developed a successful model allowing the team to dominate the European Football of the last few years. Of course, the recruiting skills of the club along with the individual talent of the players have a lot to do with it. Leo Messi embodies pure genius and is without any doubt the best football player of the moment while others – Xavi Hernandez, Andres Iniesta and the likes – are equally creative to disorientate all of their opponents in a quarter of a second.  However, the power of individualities is not all. The philosophy of the game developed behind the scenes is crucial to explain the success of the team. Most of the first team players grew up together in La Masia, one of the finest academies in Europe, to cultivate this specific philosophy altogether since their very first years. The underlying meaning behind this statement is that the extraordinary ball possession and the brilliant collective game of the team unhinging the opposition are not just magic but the results of years of work carried by an almost identical team all along; where each member has developed the capacity to predict each and every single move of his fellows, to anticipate their behaviour on the field and to learn how to act in accordance as fast as possible. De facto, one will not be surprised to see that the starting team in the final round of the last Champion’s League in Roma was made of 6 players trained in-house, or that all of the recent successes achieved by the team were orchestrated by the ideal conductor made in Barça: Pep Guardiola.

Nonetheless, the supremacy of the institution reaches well beyond the pitch. From a social perspective, it can be seen as a role model in terms of integration. Within the historical team of the 2009-2010 campaign, one will find players considered as part of the Catalan heritage – like Carles Puyol or Gerard Piqué – along with other equally talented foreigners from all rich and developing parts of the world – Leo Messi and Dani Alves from South America, Yaya Toure and Seydou Keita from Africa or Thierry Henry and Eric Abidal from France among others. No matter the language they speak (Castilian or Catalan) or the flag next to their official picture, they all benefited from the open mind of the club, learned how to play together through hard work and eventually conquered every title they could possibly win. Therefore, one will easily understand the importance of the club for all the social and political leaders of the region. The FC Barcelona is seen by many as the strongest symbol of Catalonia representing this identity loud and clear while integrating the most talented individuals within the team no matter where they are from. By the same token, the corporate social responsibility policy of Barça is almost unique in the industry. While the large majority of clubs receive money to display the logo of a private sponsor on their jersey, the Catalan club is donating a share of its revenues to UNICEF and proudly display the logo of the organisation on its jerseys.

Writing a few lines to honour the club I belong to seemed to be a necessity and I hope one now understands better the extended meaning of the motto born by the club – Mes qué un club (More than a club),  guarantying the institution a special place in the world of football and unleashing passion in my heart…

Please click the picture to see my complete resume

You see… One thing I really appreciate about Barcelona is that wherever you may go you will find this “neighbourhood feel” that any other large European city cannot offer you. For instance, you may only understand half of what your baker is saying but you like to think you have been knowing him for as long as The Old Lady coming every morning to buy her baguette for the last 50 years. Later during the day, you may be walking ten minutes away from the hectic Ramblas and find yourself wandering around remote places that could well be located in a small town in the Catalan outback. Eventually, you may have the chance to randomly find places like La Paradeta where the wonderful simplicity characterising the Mediterranean culture holds at its best. (or to get to know it through a friend of a friend )

Do not look for a sophisticated atmopshere or an elaborate menu. In fact, you will not be offered much choice :a few different species of fish and sea food and one single type of salad). Besides, if you are not Mediterranean, you may feel a little rushed and disoriented by the service in this Grand Bazar. Nonetheless, what you will find here is what one can live for: fresh and relatively economic food, a lively crowd and an authentic Mediterranean magic touch enchanting the atmosphere of this unique place.

Arrive early to avoid the line.  Forget about lunch during the week, they only do dinners.

Nonetheless, after a few months spent in the Catalan capital, you will realise that it really does not have anything to envy to Paris at all. To illustrate this adventurous theory, I will base my reasoning on one Catalan tradition you may know under another name: Sant Jordi (also known as Saint George in England). On April 23rd of every year – as a tribute to William Shakespeare and Miguel de Cervantes – Catalonia celebrate its lovers. The tradition wants that on that day of the year, a man give the woman of his heart red roses while she will/should offer him a book in return. While this must sound just like another marketing trick to complement Valentine’s day, I cannot but use John Paul Young’s words to let you know that “Love is really in the air” on Sant Jordi’s day. Once every year, intrepid Spanish men from all over the Catalan kingdom climb down from their high horses with red roses to celebrate their lady-love. The older ones will go to the women they have loved for years, while their younger counterparts will finally gather their courage to affirm the little crush they have on their neighbours for a few days. Or wait… Could it be the other way around? Anyway, in order to perpetuate the tradition, you will observe local families running small stalls and selling roses on every street corners to make sure no lady is forgotten. Who said romanticism was a French thing? It may well be Catalan…

… At least for a day.

Personal note to my French fellows: One cannot but bow to the Sant Jordi’s tradition. Don’t get me wrong but the only time of the year when a tradition get the French crowd out in the street with flowers is May 1st, la Fete du Muguet. While Catalans are celebrating their lovers with flowers, we are gathering as much as luck as we can on our sides. Well… We may be needing it.

In the Spanish architecture, such an observation has always been reflected by the presence of large community terraces on the roof of almost every building, whatever their period of construction and no matter the area of town where they are located. Nevertheless, from my experience as an estate agent in Barcelona, I have always been surprised to see that these fantastic open spaces are hardly used by the local population. When they are used, they will be exclusively considered as a place to hang your laundry – as the old lady living up there never forgets to mention when you move into your new place. Odd for a Latin nation, isn’t it? After a few years spent in the British fog and the Canadian drizzle, I can insure you that any opportunity to feel the sun light on my skin is nothing else but a godsend. A small coffee table and four chairs will do the trick.