ABSTRACT
Case Elements When FC Barcelona captain Carlos Puyol lifted the Champions League trophy in May 2006, following victory in the Final over Arsenal, it marked the re-emergence of a club that last won the trophy in 1992. The win also complemented Barca’s back-to-back La Liga titles in Spain, achieved in the 2004/2005 and 2005/2006 seasons. For people from the semi-autonomous region of Catalonia the club’s playing success is always very important, not least for the message it sends out about them, their club and the region. But playing success is just as significant because of the lucrative commercial opportunities that inevitably follow it, something that has become increasingly important to the club since the election of Joan Laporta as club president in 2003. The question is, although a team containing Ronaldinho, Eto’o and Messi may be one of the best in the world, does the club really have what it takes to succeed in business and commerce?
