And finally, the day has come to commemorate an iconic date for one of the clubs with the most tradition in the international sports scene: Futbol Club Barcelona. What makes this day special? November 29 is undoubtedly a date to be remembered in the history of Barcelona, as about 125 years ago, a historic name for the club like Joan Gamper and 11 other men (the Swiss Otto Kunzle and Walter Wild, the English John and William Parsons, the German Otto Maier, and the Catalans Lluís d'Ossó, Bartomeu Terrades, the Aragonese Enric Ducay, Pere Cabot, Carles Pujol, and Josep Llobet) gathered at the Gimnàs Solé to form an association that would bear the name and coat of arms of the city: FC Barcelona.
As Barcelona reaches its 125th year, the club intends to celebrate in style, with a gala set to take place at the Gran Teatre del Liceu. According to 'Mundo Deportivo', there is expected to be a presence of at least 2000 guests, including prominent figures in Barcelona's history such as the former club presidents who are still alive, like Joan Gaspart (2000-2003), Enric Reyna (2003), Sandro Rosell (2010-2014), Josep Maria Bartomeu (2014-2020), and of course, Joan Laporta.
The event will also see the presence of the Barcelona squad, as well as representatives from the women's team and various sections of the club. Coaches and former players from different eras are also expected to attend, including Xavi Hernández, Ronald Koeman, and Louis Van Gaal, as reported in 'MD'. Additionally, a group of club members will also attend the gala after winning their presence through a draw.
The gala will also unveil 'El Cant del 125 aniversari' and the new club mascot
Furthermore, this event, which can be followed through Barça One and '3Cat' starting from 7:30 p.m., is estimated to last around an hour and a half. During the gala, the winner of 'El Cant del 125 aniversari' will be announced, with three finalists: 'Un sentiment' by Marc Ricos, 'Del bressol a l'infinit' by David Bricollé, and 'L'escut al pit' by Xavier González-Costa. The winner will be chosen through the voting of the club's members, a process that has been ongoing since November 14 and will close during the gala, with the winner announced shortly after.
In addition to the matter of the 125th-anniversary song, a new revelation will be made: the new mascot that will represent Barcelona. There is some secrecy surrounding the design of the mascot. Furthermore, a surprise is expected in the spectacular cake prepared for the occasion by Cristian Escribà, one of the most prestigious pastry chefs not only in Catalonia but also globally. He is known for creating representative works for Barcelona in the field of pastry, such as a replica of the Spotify Camp Nou or one of the two Ballon d'Or trophies won by Alexia Putellas.