UVic-UCC professors publish a book on the history, politics and identity of FC Barcelona

This April sees the publication of FC Barcelona. History, Politics and Identity (Routledge, 2024), edited by Xavier Ginesta and Jordi de San Eugenio, who are both professors and researchers in the Faculty of Business and Communication Studies (FBCS) at the University of Vic - Central University of Catalonia (UVic-UCC) and researchers in the TRACTE (Audiovisual Translation, Communication and Territory) research group, with Jim O'Brien, a visiting professor and researcher at the university.

The book will be presented at the Muntanya de Llibres bookshop in Vic (c. Verdaguer, 24) at 6:30 pm on Tuesday 16 April. Apart from the editors - Ginesta, San Eugenio and O'Brien - the dean of the FBCS, Josep Burgaya, will also be attending the event, as well as the Catalan collaborators who were involved in writing the book. 

An academic study of FC Barcelona

FC Barcelona. History, Politics and Identity is an in-depth academic and critical study of FC Barcelona (Barça), written in English, which examines this global sporting institution's historical, political, cultural and commercial dimensions. It is divided into four main sections: history and identity; narratives and communication; management, reputation and diplomacy, and Barça's impact in foreign markets.

The book examines how and why the club has grown from its origins as a small sporting organisation in 1899 to become a contemporary giant that has shaped and transcended football. It considers how globalisation, cultural identity and ideology can help to understand Barça's development, but also how the growth of the phenomenon of FC Barcelona provides a better understanding of the forces that shape contemporary global societies. Leading academics from around the world examine key issues such as governance, the club's relationships with regional and national politics, the construction of its narrative, fan culture, the institution's digital and corporate media, branding, marketing and sports diplomacy, and the book explores topics including the debate surrounding the European Super League, and Lionel Messi's rise to become a global icon. It also contains a series of chapters on the importance of FC Barcelona around the world, including in Latin America, the United States, Africa and East Asia. 
According to the editors, it is "the first scientific book that performs a collective and social study of Barça, understanding the club in terms of an institution rooted in the territory and with a special symbolic dimension." They add that "it is a compilation of case studies by various authors from all over the world; there is only one similar book, which is about Manchester United and was published some time ago, in 2004 (Manchester United: A Thematic Study)."

A preview in the symposium entitled FC Barcelona: History, Politics and Identity

To mark the publication of the book, the symposium on FC Barcelona: History, Politics and Identity took place at UVic-UCC on 24 November 2022. The event featured authors of various sections in the book FC Barcelona. History, Politics and Identity, as well as other experts who discussed FC Barcelona in terms of topics including the club's identity and history, its governance and internal regulation, its supporters' perspective, and how the club is depicted in the media and how it has been reported, among other topical issues.