It was a record-breaking year for FC Barcelona, but which English language news pieces generated the most interest? The top 10 might surprise you
The next five
11. Video highlights of FC Barcelona’s win over Real Sociedad
12. Match Preview: FC Barcelona v Manchester United
13. Team’s joy sweeps social networks
14. Match Preview: FC Barcelona v Real Madrid
15. Champions League semi-final against Bayern Munich: Player reactions on social media
In the year 2015, FC Barcelona has once again left the world agape. In the past 12 months the Catalans not only closed out the 2014/15 season by winning an unprecedented second treble (La Liga, Copa del Rey and UEFA Champions League), but they then followed it up with two more titles in the first half of the 2015/16 season (UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup). Those two feats sandwiched an immensely popular North American tour in July, a trip that served to get the team ready for the current campaign which, for the moment, sees them in first place in La Liga and safely into the last 16 of both the Copa del Rey and the Champions League.
But before we jump ahead of ourselves, let’s take a quick peek back at what made headlines this year. Among the top ten most popular stories on fcbarcelona.com, there are some which might surprise you, others not so much. But one thing is certain: taken together they are a pretty good representation of just how extraordinary 2015 was for FC Barcelona.
10. Dates for the North American International Champions Cup revealed
The excitement was just getting started when the calendar was announced for FC Barcelona’s American Tour, a 10-day, whirlwind trip that would take them to the West and East coasts of the United States for friendlies with the Los Angeles Galaxy, Manchester United, and Chelsea. Barça then completed the preseason tournament in Florence, Italy versus Fiorentina.
9. When and where to watch El Clásico between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid
Barça’s match at Camp Nou versus Real Madrid was, as always, a worldwide event. It should be no surprise, then, that fans flocked to fcbarcelona.com in droves to peruse our global TV guide, just so they could find out how to follow the game, one of the most anticipated matchups in sports.
8. Highlights: Barça’s 4–1 victory over Levante
This Barça Fans video following one of the team’s more impressive victories in the early going of the 2015/16 season gave users a replay of Messi’s double, as well as goals from Neymar and Marc Bartra in a 4–1 La Liga triumph.
[[DES_1]]7. Highlights: Barça’s 3–0 victory over River Plate in the Final of the 2015 Club World Cup
The most recent news piece to crack the top ten was this highlight reel covering the goals and top plays from the win that gave FC Barcelona their record third FIFA Club World Cup title.
6. Highlights: Barça’s 2–1 comeback victory over Atlético Madrid
Who doesn’t love a good highlight? This video, yet another from Barça Fans, takes a look at this season’s big win over Los Colchoneros at the Vicente Calderón in Madrid thanks to clutch goals from Neymar and Messi.
5. Agreement with Atlético Madrid for the signing of Arda Turan
The moment that Turkish star Arda Turan put his name on the dotted line was one of the highlights of the off-season. The fact that he knew he couldn’t play until January — due to a FIFA sanction on Barça — but yet still signed with Barça spoke volumes about just how bad he wanted to be here. With 2016 right around the corner, Turan’s long-awaited debut is just a few days away.
4. The new Barça kit for the 2015/16 season
When Nike first revealed the newest blaugrana design, the reviews were mixed. After all, in a Club steeped in tradition, the first ever Barça shirt with horizontal stripes was a pretty big change. It appears now, though, that any initial push-back from the purists has more than subsided. Plus, how can someone honestly say these guys don’t look good?
3. Champions League celebrations on social media
When FC Barcelona beat Juventus 3–0 in the Final of the 2014/15 UEFA Champions to cap the team’s unprecedented second treble, visits to fcbarcelona.com went through the roof. But nothing was as popular as our compilation of the players’ post-game reactions on Facebook and Twitter, among others.
2. Highlights: Barça’s 3–0 victory over Guangzhou Evergrande in the semi-finals of the Club World Cup
Ok, we get the point. People love video highights. Especially after a Barça win. What people might not understand is how our number two most popular piece from 2015 was this Barça Fans video not from the Club World Cup Final — but from the semi-final! How could that be? Oh, wait, that’s right, Barça were playing the best team from a country with a population of 1.35 billion. On top of that, Guangzhou’s coach (Luiz Felipe Scolari) and top players (Robinho abd Paulinho) are well-known natives of football-crazy Brazil. Add the two together and the numbers result in eye-popping popularity.
1. Highlights: FC Barcelona’s 4-0 win over Real Madrid in the Clásico at the Santiago Bernabéu
But if there’s one thing that trumps all others in terms of popularity, this year’s number one should not surprise you. For Madrid fans, this video has undoubtedly been blacklisted. FC Barcelona fans, however, can follow the link, grab some popcorn, take a seat, and replay it again, and again, and again.