Supporters of FC Barcelona

FC Barcelona is a Catalan club based in Barcelona, formed in 1899 by a group of Swiss, English and local players led by Joan Gamper. It has been part of the Spanish top-flight, La Liga, since the league's inception in 1928 and has won La Liga 23 times, along with 27 Copas del Rey and 5 UEFA Champions League victories. The supporters of Barcelona have played an important part in the formation of the club's Catalan identity during the club's 116-year existence. From the authoritarian rule of Spain under Miguel Primo de Rivera in 1923, which later ended with the autocratic rule of Franco, various forms of cultural oppression were enacted against Catalonia and FC Barcelona in particular, causing the club to become a symbol of rebellion, although this has been disputed. After Spain's transition to democracy in 1978, several support groups of FC Barcelona evolved, most notably the Boixos Nois, who later mixed their support of the club with a demand of secession from Spain.