Spirit of Barcelona

The lights go down in the Camp Nou stadium.

A roar rises 110 000 people that fill the stands.

Two of the best players of Barcelona, Carles Puyol and Xavi, depleted the field brandishing a Catalan flag.

There is a huge cheer and thousands of cameras flash like stars in the steep slopes of the stage.

It's an incredible feeling being here, and it is not yet a game.

It is the victory of the end of the FC Barcelona (Barcelona) turn around their city, in beating arch rival Real Madrid to win the Championship of Spain.

"It's a feeling of a country," said a girl. "The land of Catalonia".

The legacy of Franco

General Francisco Franco disliked the independence of spirit of Catalonia. During his long dictatorship, he persecuted the region.

He helped Real Madrid, while FC Barcelona, owned by his fans, became a symbol of democracy and of the resistance.

With Franco longer and now largely autonomous Catalonia, the club plays still strongly on its history, project an image of the plucky underdog.

It requires a degree of loyalty and sense that other clubs can probably not.

Each of the players when they take the microphone to thank the crowd, exclaimed: "visca Barca, visca Catalunya!

Even the foreign players, as Argentine Lionel Messi, say, "live Catalonia."

The foreign players must be also Catalan, told me a fan. "They feel what we feel, love of country, Catalonia."

As the file fans outside the stadium under a sky lit up by Fireworks, I stop a father and son, both with the band la Barca.

Players are proud to be part of the Catalan club links

They are not Catalan, they say, but Cameroon, such as former la Barca, striker Samuel Eto'o ' o.

"Barca is a team of nice, this is my team," said the father.

I asked him if he felt more a part of this city, by supporting Barcelona.

"Yes,"he says. ".Here, everyone belongs. ?

I know it's true.

My first visit to live in Barcelona as a 19-year-old teaching English. I had little understanding of the offside rule and even less interest in football.

But one night, having dinner with a friend near the stadium, a huge cheer derived in through the open window.

But Barca played away, and this has been the sound of people at home, watching the match on television and cheering as if they were.

Celebrations when Barca won - and often they have done then submerged as now - the entire city. And I wanted to be a part of it.

It was a time Golden in support of Barcelona - the so-called "dream team" Johan Cruyff season, when the Dutch football legend led Barca in unique style they use today.

Cruyff remains a hero in the city, even if, in the workplace now of the 1960s, his coach days are long behind him.

The language Catalan, prohibited under the dictatorship of Franco is still widely spoken

It is the example of the kind of loyalty that aspires to Catalonia.

In 1973, as a better player in the world, he turned fortunes of Barcelona around when he chooses to Real Madrid.

Then, he defies the ban of Franco of Catalan names and gave his own son the name of the patron saint of Catalonia, Jordi.

When I met with Cruyff, he was still bounding with energy - but a little incomprehensible.

He speaks many languages, but his brain works so quickly - as he did in his career - all you get is two words at the beginning of a story, one from the middle and then he will have to say :, "... whatsoever." Can you see? ?

It uses this "absolutely" a lot.

When he shows me his legendary Cruyff turn, he says: "" take you it - there there, balance, that this is, may not make him if he is not, then you can here, or whatever you see? ""

I have an idea just what he said, but the field I've seen this work.

Start em young

The whistle goes to the meeting of young people. Boys are aged 12 to 14 years, and they already play in the style of la Barca invented by Cruyff.

Youth players are taught the moral principles of the club

Barcelona Youth Academy is another gift of Dutch.

He had seen what youth a strong academy might do to his former club, Ajax and imported the idea.

Youth, Cree mother game to support drown in others.

You have the feeling that she would like to tackle this Defender itself and give his son a clear shot on goal.

Part of work of the Academy is to protect young players from their own parents. Some of the boys here will be the next superstar, and some of the mothers are auditioning for the part.

Currently, Gucci handbags are false, but they know if their son has the talent, one day they will be real.

The Academy trains boys from the age of 11, and not only in the arts of football.

Equally important, they are, are the principles of humility, teamwork and commitment. This is another reason why the fans here are so proud of their club.

"FC Barcelona is a family", say a group of young Catalan girls. "They train players to be decent people."

But as anyone who has seen that important a match you says it, that they can be quite decent dive too, when things did not go their way.