Barcelona have asked RFEF to recognise their 1937 La Liga title triumph – report

In their rich history, Barcelona have won the prestigious La Liga 26 times. The only team to have won the competition more are Real Madrid who have done so 35 times.

Yet, there is controversy over the Catalans’ trophy count regarding the 1937 edition which was played amidst the Civil War.

Given the heavy restrictions, security problems and conflict of war, the Royal Spanish Federation (RFEF) does not consider the edition in the Blaugranas’ title count and refuses to recognise the silverware.

Barcelona have contested this decision for several years now, only for their complaints to fall on deaf ears. According to reports from AS, there is finally a ray of hope for the subject.

The Spanish outlet confirm that RFEF recognised Levante’s Copa Del Rey title win from the same year earlier this month. The Blaugranas see no reason for the double standards and believe that the same procedure must be followed to recognise the league title too.

While the club’s request is not unreasonable, there are some fundamental differences between the cup and the league of 1937.

In that year, the competition was carried out only between ten teams owing to the restrictions of war. It was called the Mediterranean League and only included teams from the Catalan and Valencian regions. The Cup, meanwhile, was played by all qualifying teams except Barcelona as they travelled to Mexico for a friendly.

Another key difference is the fact that the Cup trophy from 1937 still exists to date. The league trophy, however, was likely destroyed in a bombing in 1938 and thus cannot be handed over officially.

Barcelona appear set to lift the La Liga title this season as they hold a commanding 12-point lead over Real Madrid heading into the final stretch of the season. The 2022/23 title coupled with the 1937 edition would reduce the deficit between Barcelona and the Merengues to just nine titles.