League game between Barça and Alavés to see Rugby section celebrate centenary

On Sunday 2 February at 2pm CET at the Estadi Olímpic Lluis Companys Barça take on Alavés in week 22 of La Liga. Aside from the interest in how Hansi Flick's will get on against the Basque visitors, there are also various events taking place around the game to honour Barça's slogan of being 'More than a Club.'

The Club's rugby team are set to officially celebrate their centenary on Sunday. The players will be met by President Joan Laporta in the directors' box, and after the warm up, members of the squad will venture out on to the field to commemorate 100 years of existence in front of the crowd at the Estadi Olímpic. 

‘Relats solidaris de l’Esport’

The event to celebrate the finals of the literary project ‘Relats Solidaris de l’Esport’, as every year, coincides with a home game, this Sunday's contest against Alavés in the Estadi Olímpic. President Joan Laporta, members of the Board of Directors and the various journalists behind the project, plus representatives from sponsoring companies will meet up. ‘Relats Solidaris de l’Esport’ will be represented on the field with Ronaldo Araujo, personally involved with the 19th edition of the project, and the rest of the players having their photographs taken at the start of the warm up alongside the children who are benefitting from the initiative from the Enriqueta Villavecchia Children's Oncological Foundation. .

Year of the Snake

The game will also see a series of activities related to the celebration of the Year of the Snake, which started on 29 January. As for a long time now, FC Barcelona would like to take the chance to wish all the best to those celebrating the Year of the Snake around the world, a special 12 months in which the Club is celebrating its 125th anniversary. The snake symbolises new beginnings, wisdom and transformation ahead of brilliant future. According to Asian culture, the Year of the snake brings fortune and strength to all to help face challenges with hope and bravery. 

At matches and also digitally, FC Barcelona providers will celebrate the occasion via festive initiatives and on Sunday various of these events will take place. 

Fans attending the men’s and women’s football matches can enjoy traditional dragon and lion dance performances at the stadium entrances. The players will be wearing special warm-up shirts featuring their names in Chinese on the back and will come onto the field accompanied by Chinese children from the Penya Blaugrana Dracs Units.

At half time the internationally renowned champions Vietnamese freestyle footballer Do Kim Phuc will perform his routine. 

As in previous years, the stadium screens will display the lineups in Chinese, and halftime entertainment will include a themed DJ performance and fan cams. The Mascot Cat and the stadium announcers will take part in the festivities and there will also be games and competitions on the video scoreboard.  

Apart from the above mentioned activities, the Barça players will wear a green armband associated with Spanish FA's "Brazeletes de la esperanza" (Armbands for hope) campaign. This year the campaign is centred on the World Day against Cancer which takes place on Tuesday 4 February.