FC Barcelona Handbol
ClubnameFC Barcelona
Founded29 November 1942 (age 83)
GroundPalau Blaugrana
Capacity7,500
ChairmanJoan Laporta
ManagerAntonio Carlos Ortega
LeagueLiga ASOBAL
Season2024–25
Position1st
Colour 1Navy
Colour 2Crimson
Websitehttps://www.fcbarcelona.com/handball
Pattern la 1_fcbarcelona2425h
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Leftarm 1BF0030
Body 100009F
Rightarm 1BF0030
Shorts 100009F
Pattern la 2_fcbarcelona2425t
Pattern b 2_fcbarcelona2425t
Pattern ra 2_fcbarcelona2425t
Pattern sh 2_fcbarcelona2425t
Leftarm 2b8f09b
Body 2b8f09b
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Futbol Club Barcelona Handbol is a professional Catalan Spanish handball team based in Barcelona, Catalonia. It is a part of the FC Barcelona multi sports club, and was founded on 29 November 1942. The club competes domestically in the Liga ASOBAL and in the European Champions League. It is the most successful handball club in Spain and Europe with a record number of domestic and international titles.

History

Early years

The handball section of Futbol Club Barcelona was founded on 29 November 1942 during the presidency of Enrique Piñeyro.[1] In the beginning handball was played with eleven players per team and did not have a specialized field to play. They used football fields until the late 1950s, when they started to play, as in actual games, with seven players and a covered field.[1]

In the early stages, competitions were dominated by other teams like Atlético de Madrid and Granollers, breaking their domination few times.

They won their first league title and cup in 1969.[1] Their homefield Palau Blaugrana was constructed in 1971, where they have played since.[1]

Valero Rivera era (1983–2003)

Things changed radically with the arrival of one of the best coaches in handball history, Valero Rivera.[1][2] With him, the team became virtually unbeatable in Spain and in Europe, winning a record of 70 trophies under his rule, including 5 consecutive, 6 in total, European Cups.[3][2]

Post Valero Rivera era (2003–present)

In the summer of 2013, the Barça handball team, conducted by the head coach Xavi Pascual, won the IHF Super Globe trophy, the only trophy that was still missing from the club's trophy cabinet.[4]

FC Barcelona’s handball team closed out the 2013/14 Liga ASOBAL with a record-breaking winning run. Barça made history this season when they completed their Liga ASOBAL without dropping any points from all 30 match days.[5]

FC Barcelona successfully defended its IHF Super Globe title in 2014, marking the first time a team has won back-to-back titles since the most prestigious club handball event has been hosted annually in the Qatari capital Doha.[6][7]

Again, FC Barcelona handball team ended the 2014/2015 Liga ASOBAL season unbeaten for the second consecutive year.[8]

FC Barcelona handball team won the seven titles disputed the 2014/2015 season, something which had not happened since the 1999/2000 season with Valero Rivera's Dream Team.[9]

In 2017 FC Barcelona handball was again champion of the IHF Super Globe after beating the German team Füchse Berlin.[10]

In 2018, the club won the Super Globe trophy again, for the fourth time. In a repeat of last year the team of head coach Xavi Pascual won the IHF Super Globe Final against Füchse Berlin, this time by a five-goal difference, 29–24.[11]

Again Barça won the IHF Super Globe in 2019, their third in a row. The team led by Xavi Pascual beat THW Kiel 34–32.[12]

In 2021 Barça regain the European throne six years after the last title, winning the final against Aalborg Håndbold (36–23), at the end of an absolutely impeccable season: 6/6 titles and 61/61 victories.[13] Xavi Pascual's team secured the section's 10th Champions League and also became the first team to lift the golden net, the new trophy for the European champions from this season, as a replacement for the bronze arm. The title concludes a season with an emotional ending, since it marks the conclusion of a cycle and the goodbye of several players, in addition to David Barrufet, Xavi Pascual and Fernando Barbeito.[14] Former Dream Team player, Carlos Ortega was chosen to be FC Barcelona's new handball coach for the next three seasons.[15]

In the 2021–22 season, after the successes achieved the previous season, the azulgrana certified a new sextet, where the only title that escaped was the Super Globe in October. The team won the Spanish Super Cup, the Catalan Super Cup, the Copa del Rey, the Sacyr ASOBAL League, the Sacyr ASOBAL Cup, and finally the Champions League. The team ended the season winning the 11th Champions League in Barça history. Barça revalidated the title in Cologne, being the first team to win two consecutive years with the new final four format, and extended its dominance in the historic record of the Handball Champions League.[16]

Kits

colspan=24 ! style="color:#FFCC00; background:#0020E0"| HOME
colspan=10 ! style="color:#FFCC00; background:#0020E0"| AWAY
colspan=10 ! style="color:#FFCC00; background:#0020E0"| THIRD

Trophies

Season by season

SeasonTierDivisionPos.Notes
1990–911ASOBAL1st / 1stChampion
1991–921ASOBAL1st / 2ndChampion
1992–931ASOBAL2nd / 3rd
1993–941ASOBAL1st / 1st / ½
1994–951ASOBAL2nd
1995–961ASOBAL1stChampion
1996–971ASOBAL1stChampion
1997–981ASOBAL1stChampion
1998–991ASOBAL1stChampion
1999–001ASOBAL1stChampion
2000–011ASOBAL2nd
2001–021ASOBAL2nd
2002–031ASOBAL1stChampion
2003–041ASOBAL2nd
2004–051ASOBAL4th
2005–061ASOBAL1stChampion
2006–071ASOBAL4th
2007–081ASOBAL2nd
2008–091ASOBAL2nd
2009–101ASOBAL2nd
SeasonTierDivisionPos.Notes
2010–111ASOBAL1stChampion
2011–121ASOBAL1stChampion
2012–131ASOBAL1stChampion
2013–141ASOBAL1stChampion
2014–151ASOBAL1stChampion
2015–161ASOBAL1stChampion
2016–171ASOBAL1stChampion
2017–181ASOBAL1stChampion
2018–191ASOBAL1stChampion
2019–201ASOBAL1stChampion
2020–211ASOBAL1stChampion
2021–221ASOBAL1stChampion
2022–231ASOBAL1stChampion
2023–241ASOBAL1stChampion
2024–251ASOBAL1stChampion
2025–261ASOBAL1stChampion

Season by season (B team)

SeasonTierDivisionPos.Notes
2001–0231ª Nacional10th
2002–0331ª Nacional3rd
2003–0431ª Nacional1st
2004–0531ª Nacional2nd
2005–0631ª Nacional1st
2006–0731ª Nacional2nd
2007–0831ª Nacional8th
2008–0931ª Nacional1st / 1st / 2nd
2009–1031ª Nacional1st / 1st / 1stPromoted
2010–112Plata6th
2011–122Plata1st
2012–132Plata1st
2013–142Plata1st
2014–152Plata3rd
2015–162Plata5th

European record

Champions League

SeasonRoundClub1st leg2nd legAggregate
2023–24
Winners		Group Matches
(Group B)
Montpellier Handball30–2534–372nd place
SC Magdeburg32–2028–29
FC Porto38–3040–33
GOG Håndbold38–3030–23
Celje Pivovarna Laško37–3139–30
Telekom Veszprém36–4131–30
Orlen Wisła Płock28–2532–25
QuarterfinalsParis Saint-Germain30–2232–3162–53
SemifinalTHW Kiel30–18
FinalAalborg Håndbold31–30
2021–22
Winners		Group Matches
(Group B)
SG Flensburg-Handewitt25–2129–222nd place
Motor36–2510–0
Telekom Veszprém28–2935–30
Dinamo București36–3235–30
Paris Saint-Germain30–2728–28
FC Porto33–3338–31
Łomża Vive Kielce30–3227–29
QuarterfinalsSG Flensburg-Handewitt33–2927–2460–53
SemifinalTHW Kiel34–30
FinalŁomża Vive Kielce37–35 (ET)
2020–21
Winners		Group Matches
(Group B)
HC Motor Zaporizhzhia42–2430–251st place
HBC Nantes30–2935–27
PPD Zagreb45–2737–33
Aalborg Håndbold42–3335–32
THW Kiel29–2532–26
Telekom Veszprém37–3037–34
RK Celje42–2832–29
Last 16Elverum Håndball39–1937–2576–44
QuarterfinalsMeshkov Brest40–2833–2973–57
SemifinalHBC Nantes31–26
FinalAalborg Håndbold36–23
2019–20Group Matches
(Group A)
Paris Saint-Germain36–3235–321st place
MOL-Pick Szeged30–2828–31
Aalborg44–3534–30
Flensburg31–2734–27
Celje45–2137–25
PPD Zagreb32–2336–19
Elverum33–2430–26
QuarterfinalsCancelled
Semi-final (F4)Paris Saint-Germain37–32
Final (F4)THW Kiel28–33

Team

Staff

Staff for the 2025–26 season

Current squad

Squad for the 2025–26 season
Goalkeeper
Left Wingers
Right Wingers
Line players
Left Backs
Central Backs
Right Backs

Transfers

Transfers for the 2026–27 season
Joining
Leaving
Transfers for the 2027–28 season
Joining
Leaving

Transfer History

style="color:#FFCC00; background:#0020E0| Transfers for the 2025–26 season
Joining
Leaving

Notable former coaches

Notable former players

See also:

References

  1. ^ "History of the handball section". FC Barcelona. Retrieved 15 May 2025.
  2. ^ "Valero Rivera receives the distinction of Honorary Member of the Handball Section". FC Barcelona. 19 October 2024. Retrieved 15 March 2025.
  3. ^ "Rivera verlässt den FC Barcelona" (in German). Berliner Zeitung. 2 January 2004.
  4. ^ "News - FC Barcelona Official website"
  5. ^ "News - FC Barcelona Official website"
  6. ^ "FC Barcelona retains IHF Super Globe title | 24th Men's Handball World Championship". Archived from the original on 13 September 2014. Retrieved 13 September 2014.
  7. ^ "News - FC Barcelona Official website"
  8. ^ "News - FC Barcelona Official website"
  9. ^ "News - FC Barcelona Official website"
  10. ^ "Füchse Berlin v FC Barcelona Lassa: Champions of the Super Globe! (25-29)"
  11. ^ "BARÇA WIN FOURTH SUPER GLOBE TROPHY". eurohandball.com. Archived 10 January 2020 at the Wayback Machine.
  12. ^ "Barca Lassa win IHF Super Globe 2019". 31 August 2019.
  13. ^ "Barça 36–23 Aalborg: European champions!"
  14. ^ "The tenth Champions League is ours!"
  15. ^ "Carlos Ortega, until 2024"
  16. ^ "FC Barcelona 32-32 Kielce: European Champions on penalties!"
  17. ^ https://www.nemzetisport.hu/kezilabda/2025/06/barcelonaban-folytatja-a-veszprem-tavozo-klasszisa-ludovic-fabregas
  18. ^ https://www.handball-world.news/artikel/fc-barcelona-praesentiert-perez-de-vargas-nachfolger-1118664
  19. ^ https://www.handball-world.news/artikel/fc-barcelona-praesentiert-neuzugang-fuer-den-rueckraum-1100509
  20. ^ "Viktor Hallgrimsson y Dani Fernandez refuerzos del Barça para 2025" [Viktor Hallgrimsson and Dani Fernandez are Barça's new signings for 2025] (in Spanish). mibalonmano.com. 27 March 2024. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
  21. ^ https://www.fcbarcelona.es/es/balonmano/primer-equipo/noticias/4205900/joan-marin-este-verano-vendran-jugadores-contrastados-que-no-habra-que-presentar
  22. ^ https://www.fcbarcelona.es/es/balonmano/primer-equipo/noticias/4205900/joan-marin-este-verano-vendran-jugadores-contrastados-que-no-habra-que-presentar
  23. ^ https://www.handball-world.news/artikel/diesmal-ist-es-wirklich-das-ende-gerard-beendet-karriere-nach-barcelona-kapitel-1128070
  24. ^ https://www.handball-world.news/artikel/wisla-plock-verpflichtet-champions-league-mvp-1037748
  25. ^ https://hojelitehaandbold.dk/verdensklassespilleren-hampus-wanne-til-hoej-elite/
  26. ^ https://handballveszprem.hu/hu/article/a-vilag-egyik-legjobb-vedekezo-jatekosa-thiagus-petrus-csatlakozik-a-one-veszprem-csapatahoz_7856
  27. ^ https://thw-handball.de/weitere/2023/08/der-thw-kiel-holt-gonzalo-perez-de-vargas-2025-in-die-staerkste-liga-der-welt/
  28. ^ https://www.handball-world.news/artikel/transfercoup-fuechse-holen-fuenfmaligen-champions-league-sieger-arino-1083559
  29. ^ https://www.fcporto.pt/pt/noticias/20250508-pt-pol-valera-e-reforco-para-2025-26
  30. ^ https://www.mundodeportivo.com/balonmano/20250521/1002468755/oficial-barca-traspasa-javi-rodriguez.html