A passionate soccer derby

Barcelona Sporting Club (BSC) was founded on May 1 1925 by Eutimio Pérez, a Spanish immigrant who named the club after his home city of Barcelona, Spain. Four years later its long-standing rival Club Sport Emelec was started by George Capwell, a former American head of the Ecuador Electricity Company, which formed the basis of the team’s name.

On July 9 2013, Guayaquil’s Mayor – and lifetime president of the sporting institution – Jaime Nebot inaugurated the modern Barcelona Sporting Club Museum in the Port of Santa Ana. The museum takes visitors on a journey through the club’s long history, highlighting its greatest achievements and most special moments.

The ceremony was sober, but touching. The idea was conceived in the mind of local journalist Marcelo Marchan, and was immediately endorsed by the Mayor, who had only one condition: that another museum be erected in honour of rival team Emelec. The municipality provided the appropriate property, financing and technology, whilst the rest was provided by Mr. Marchan’s company, who did not get to see the fruits of his labor as he passed away last October. Thus, the most emotional moment of the ceremony was the eulogy in his memory.

“This museum will not only let us know where we are, but also allow us to know where we’re going and where we come from,” said Mr. Nebot during this contribution to the history of Guayaquil. BSC’s president, Antonio Noboa, thanked the contributors who made this project possible and said the museum “will last a lifetime, the kids will be able to know Barcelona in a better way.”

Access to the museum is free and because of its popular appeal, the City Hall will set up a website for people to plan their visits and avoid groups overlapping.

The club’s numerous enemies, especially in various radio and TV sports programs, did not attend the opening ceremony – which was also regarded as a tribute to the museum and its cultural significance. Instead, there were former stars of the institution, headed by ex-captain and idol of the “Canaries” Fausto Montalván, who celebrated his 90th birthday earlier this year, and proudly sported the club’s distinctive yellow shirt.

According to the UNESCO’s International Council of Museums, it is “a permanent non-profit institution which will be at the service of society and its development... and exhibits the tangible and intangible heritage of the people and their environment to be studied for the general public’s enlightenment”.

The rival team, Club Sport Emelec has already begun working on its own museum. As Nassib Neme, Emelec’s president notes: “There is already a commission in charge of the task of collecting the material that will be part of the Museum of Emelec and its architectural design. We will finalize it soon and it will be a source of pride not only for the fans of the club but for all football fans.”