Francesc Xavier Casals (1937-1939)

Francesc Xavier Casals (Badalona, 1880 – Barcelona, 1954) was president of Barça after the Employees Committee ceased its duties in November 1937. Casals stayed in the position until the fall of Barcelona to Francoist troops on January 26, 1939.

Minister of Employment in the Generalitat government presided by Francesc Macià from 1932-1933, Casals had extensive experience in the running of FC Barcelona, as he had been a board member under Esteve Sala and Josep Suñol (1934-1936) and president of the Employees Committee (1936-1937).

Casals’ achievements during the Civil War could not have been better considering the extreme circumstances going on around the club. There was no club in Spain, on either side of the conflict, that dealt with the conflict as well as FC Barcelona, giving its full support to legalised democracy in the form of all kinds of events and remaining active on a sporting front, winning one Catalonian Championship and one Catalan League.

Casals was president of the Club until fascist forces entered Barcelona on January 26, 1939, which he awaited with all his serenity and bravery. Ever loyal to the club, he had done all he could to maintain its everyday activities whenever possible, and the last game at Les Corts before the city fell to the fascists was played on January 8, 1939. Unfortunately, once the civil war ended, Francesc Xavier Casals was imprisoned by the Francoist regime for his pro-republican and pro-catalanist history.