‘We fight today, tomorrow we play #StrongerTogether’, the video message of hope that Barça is sending to the world

In these difficult times as a consequence of the global health crisis caused by the spread of COVID-19, with lockdown, uncertainties and fears for what we are going through and for what has yet to come, FC Barcelona has decided to send the world a message of hope and optimism in the form of the anthem that unites all of its fans. With the message ‘We fight today, tomorrow we play #STRONGERTOGETHER’, the latter being a line from the club anthem, ‘Cant del Barça’, the club is sharing a video featuring representatives of the whole Barça family, or “gent blaugrana”, who stand together in such exceptional times, and which is also a message of thanks and gratitude to the professionals who are working on the frontline in the battle against the pandemic. 

These are also times for having the faith that the struggles and sacrifices for a common cause are not going to be forever and that one day we shall go back to enjoying the life that has been put on hold by the coronavirus, and that also means enjoying football and Barça once again. So we all need to be united and stronger in the battle against COVID-19, the opponent that this time we are all trying to beat together. That is the message being sought by Barça’s videos, which has been released in various languages and that uses the words of the anthem as its thread, which are recited line by line by representatives of the different groups that make up the great Barça family. 

These include anonymous fans of all ages, members of the club senate, supporters clubs, children from the Penya Blaugrana ‘Dracs Units’, and from Barça Academies in such far-flung places as Nara (Japan), Lusaka (Zambia), Charlotte (USA), Warsaw (Poland), Cali (Colombia) and the Barça Escola in Barcelona; famous fans like singer Miki Puig and former model and TV presenter Judith Mascó; chef José Andrés, former MotoGP champion Jorge Lorenzo, doctor Bonaventura Clotet, who is leading a research program to prevent the transmission of coronavirus; Barça players of past and present like NBA superstar Pau Gasol and the living legend that is Gary Lineker, as well as representatives of the different Barça sports teams. 

The video also features Barça’s world record holding athlete Yulimar Rojas, members of the professional sports teams like handball captain Víctor Tomàs, roller hockey captain Aitor Egurrola and futsal captain Sergio Lozano; basketball star Pierre Oriol and one of the Barça women’s football captains Alèxia Putellas. The football first team is represented by Carles Puyol and other players of the present and future, like Ansu Fati and Sergi Roberto, also of whom read their lines of Cant del Barça, each of which is accompanied by images that add to the meaning, and which are so highly reflective of the way the club brings people together both in the good times and in the bad. 

In doing so, the unconditional support that the Barça athletes always receive from their fans is being returned to the anonymous heroes who are now fighting on the frontline against coronavirus, such as the healthcare staff at the medical centre in Martorell, the security forces and emergency personnel, all of whom are being recognised every day as the people in lockdown appear on their balconies to applaud in unison. 

The version of ‘Cant del Barça’ that is used in the video is played on the piano by Àngel Lardin Meler, one of the technical staff at Barça Studios who has a long and distinguished background as a music producer and composer under his alias of Twioneangel. 

Barça wants to get its message out to the world and is using its strength and especially the fact that it is the worldwide leader on social networks, with a potential audience of more than 300 million followers around the planet and able to generate more than 1,400 million interactions with its fans on social networks. 

An anthem for making a stand, integration, persistence and union

‘Cant del Barça’ was written in 1974, and has been the club anthem ever since. It was composed on the occasion of the club’s 75^th anniversary with words by Josep M. Espinàs and Jaume Picas, and music by Manuel Valls, and is loved as much today as it has ever been.

It has a pounding melody, with a strong rhythm and a powerful message (“we have a name that everyone knows”), but it is mainly about integration (“we are the blaugrana people, wherever we come from, be that the south or the north”, “a flag joins us like brothers”) and persistence (“we have shown that no one can ever break us”). But in these times that we are going through, where so many people are coming together to fight for a common cause, there are lines of Cant del Barça that have taken on special meaning, especially the bit about ‘united we are strong’, although in this case it is not about a rival on the pitch, but one that everyone is up against, coronavirus, and if we are all united against it, then we become stronger. But the line about “the whole stadium cheers in unison” also reflects the way everyone is cheering on the essential workers who are doing such a grand job on the frontline.

The whole stadium

Cheers in unison

We’re the Barça supporters

No matter where we come from

Be it south or north

Now we all agree - we all agree

One flag unites us as brothers

Blaugrana in the wind

A valiant cry

We have a name everyone knows

Barça, Barça, Baaarça!

Players

Supporters

United we are strong

Many years of toil

We have celebrated many goals

And we have shown - we have shown

That no one can ever break us

Blaugrana in the wind

A valiant cry

We have a name everyone knows

Barça, Barça, Baaarça!