The Mexican tour that saved FC Barcelona from bankruptcy
In 1937, FC Barcelona was on the verge of bankruptcy, but fortunately, a tour of Mexico and the United States saved the club's finances.
A few days ago, the Joan Gamper Trophy was played and FC Barcelona beat PUMAS from Mexico 6-0. It was an emotional match, as Dani Alves was able to say goodbye to the Catalan fans. However, it was not the only thing that happened, since the president of FC Barcelona, Joan Laporta declared the following: "We are in debt with Mexico and the United States. Barça exists because of the pre-season tour they did in the summer of 1937. It was curious because thanks to that tour the club was able to make a lot of money and they put it in an account in Paris and that saved the club. We were at serious risk of selling the club and we had to use emergency funds to keep Barcelona afloat and the money from the tour helped".
Joan Laporta, President of FC Barcelona
Between 1936 and 1939, Spain suffered one of the worst crises in its history, the Spanish Civil War. At that time, the city of Barcelona was the bastion of the Republicans and FC Barcelona was no exception. Josep Sunyol, president of the club and staunch defender of Republican ideas, was assassinated by the opposing side. On top of this, the club was on the verge of bankruptcy. In 1924, FC Barcelona had 12,000 members, by 1934 the number dropped to 8,000 and 3 years later, the figure was less than 5,000. And because the Spanish league had been suspended, the club was unable to raise money from football matches. Desperation was total.
FC Barcelona team in 1937
And then came unexpected but vital news for the future of the Catalan team. Manuel Mas Soriano, a Catalan businessman who lived in Mexico, proposed by letter to the club, to carry out a tour of Aztec lands, with all expenses paid and that would provide Barça with an income of 15,000 dollars. On May 24, 1937, the FC Barcelona players took a ship, crossed the Atlantic Ocean, and arrived in Veracruz on June 8. The players were received as heroes in Mexico, a country that supported the Republican faction. At first, the idea was to only play 5 games, which would take about 3 weeks, but in the end, the trip was extended for more than 3 months. Thanks to the success in Mexico, FC Barcelona received the invitation to go to New York and play there, for 4 more matches.
Patrick & @fcbarcelona angel of independence @mexico 1937 @emmetmalone @McDonnellDan @ballsdotie @DarraghMaloney pic.twitter.com/GZCAQdAT4A
— Patrick O'Connell (@PatricioFund) November 11, 2015
Barça played a total of 14 games, 10 in Mexico and 4 in the United States, between June 20 and September 20 with a balance of 10 wins, and 4 losses. Thanks to this tour, the club obtained economic benefits of 461,799.10 pesetas, an amount that was deposited in a bank in Paris on October 6, 1937. Later, that money was used to pay off debts and helped the club to get up from the ashes. But not all the players returned, 9 of them decided to stay and live in Mexico. A famous case was that of Martí Ventolrá, the team's top scorer, who got married in Mexico and became a player for Atlante FC.
Martí Ventolrá, scorer for FC Barcelona, became a player for Atlante FC
The matches of the FC Barcelona in Mexico and United States:
1) Defeat against America by 2-0. 2) Victory against Atlante by 1-2. 3) Victory against Espanya by 4-5. 4 and 5) Victory 2-4 and 1-2 against Necaxa. 6) Defeat against Asturias FC by 5-1. 7) Victory against America by 2-3. 8 and 9) Defeat 5-2 and 3-1 against the Mexican National Team. 10) Victory against Cidosa by 2-7. 11) Victory against Brooklyn Hispano by 2-4. 12) Victory against New York by 3-4. 13) Victory against American Soccer League by 0-2. 14) Victory against the Hebrew national team by 0-3.
"We have to do something in Mexico because there are a lot of competitive teams. The last time we played there was against Club América for their anniversary. We only played one game and we have to return soon", said Joan Laporta.
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