Les Corts

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

On 13 May 1923, Les Corts hosted the Copa del Rey final between Athletic Bilbao and CE Europa. On 21 December 1924, it hosted a game between Spain and Austria. On 14 June 1925, during a game, FC Barcelona fans jeered the Spanish national anthem and then applauded God Save the King, performed by a visiting British Royal Marine band. The dictatorship of Primo de Rivera accused Joan Gamper of promoting Catalan nationalism. Les Corts was shut down for six months and Gamper was expelled from Spain. The stadium was the home of FC Barcelona during two of its most successful eras. During the 1920s with coach Jack Greenwell and players such as Paulino Alcántara, Sagibarba, Ricardo Zamora, Josep Samitier, Félix Sesúmaga and Franz Platko, the club dominated the Campionat de Catalunya and emerged as one of the top clubs in Spain. The club built on that success and also won the first ever La Liga while based at Les Corts.

In Their Own Story

By the late 1940s, FC Barcelona had outgrown Les Corts. The stadium had been extended on several occasions, reaching a final capacity of 60,000. However, there was no room for further expansion and in 1950 the club began to make plans for a new stadium, the Camp Nou. The club moved to its new stadium upon its inauguration on 24 September 1957. After the closure of Les Corts, the club began a long, ultimately successful, process to rezone the property to allow for residential and commercial use. Demolition of the old stadium began on 2 February 1966. Of the 26,990 m2 (290,500 sq ft) property, 15,300 m2 (165,000 sq ft) were then rebuilt as parks and sports facilities (basketball and hockey courts, swimming pools, etc.). Residential and commercial buildings were erected on the rest of the site.

Reader's Guide

For the true supporter, Les Corts is not merely a forgotten address on a map; it is the sacred ground where FC Barcelona ceased to be just a football team and became a symbol of resilience. While the original stadium no longer exists, its legacy is preserved in the very soil beneath the Camp Nou and within the 'Museu del Futbol Club Barcelona.' Visitors today can walk through the museum's exhibits that honor this era, viewing the trophies lifted on those wooden stands and reading the accounts of players who defined an age. The spirit of Les Corts lives on in the rituals of the modern fan. When the team takes to the pitch at Camp Nou, the connection to 1922 is palpable. The tradition of singing 'Cant del Barça' with such fervor that it shakes the new stadium's foundations began as a whisper in the stands of Les Corts. It was here that the concept of 'Més que un club' (More than a club) moved from a slogan to a lived reality, proving that football could unite a people against overwhelming odds. To understand Barcelona is to honor Les Corts. It reminds us that greatness is built on humility and community. The site serves as a constant reminder that while stadiums rise and fall, the identity forged within them remains eternal. Fans often visit the area where it once stood, now part of the Camp Nou expansion zone, to pay respects to the ancestors who built this institution brick by brick.

Did You Know?

• The first game played at Les Corts was between FC Barcelona and St Mirren.
• On 14 June 1925, fans jeered the Spanish national anthem and applauded God Save the King, leading to a six-month closure of the stadium and the expulsion of club president Joan Gamper from Spain.
• Les Corts hosted the Copa del Rey final on 13 May 1923 between Athletic Bilbao and CE Europa.
• The stadium reached a final capacity of 60,000 after several extensions.
• Demolition of Les Corts began on 2 February 1966.