# 2011–12 FC Barcelona season
The 2011–12 [FC Barcelona](https://www.edgepedia.org/fc-barcelona) season was the club's 2011/12 campaign of official competitions, the fourth and final season under coach [Pep Guardiola](https://www.edgepedia.org/pep-guardiola), in which the first team won the [Copa del Rey](https://www.edgepedia.org/copa-del-rey), reached the Champions League semi-finals, and finished second in La Liga to Real Madrid.[1](https://www.fcbarcelona.com/en/guardiolas-barcelona) The season is remembered for the trophies collected in late 2011, for Lionel Messi's scoring, and for Guardiola's departure after four years in charge.
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Coach | Pep Guardiola, in his fourth and final season as Barça coach[1](https://www.fcbarcelona.com/en/guardiolas-barcelona) |
| Trophies won (first team) | Spanish Super Cup (5-4 aggregate over Real Madrid), UEFA Super Cup (2-0 over Porto), FIFA Club World Cup (4-0 over Santos), Copa del Rey (3-0 over Athletic Club)[1](https://www.fcbarcelona.com/en/guardiolas-barcelona) |
| La Liga | Runners-up; Real Madrid took the title with 100 points from 38 games (32 wins, 4 draws, 2 losses, 121 goals for, 32 against)[2](https://fbref.com/en/squads/206d90db/2011-2012/c12/Barcelona-Stats-La-Liga) |
| League scoring | Barcelona scored 114 league goals, 50 of them from Lionel Messi[3](https://theanalyst.com/articles/the-2011-clasicos) |
| Champions League | Semi-finals; 12 matches, 8 wins, 3 draws, 1 loss, eliminated by Chelsea[4](https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/history/clubs/50080--barcelona/) • [1](https://www.fcbarcelona.com/en/guardiolas-barcelona) |
| Calendar year 2011 | Five trophies from a possible six[1](https://www.fcbarcelona.com/en/guardiolas-barcelona) |
| Club-wide record | 17 official titles won by the professional sections in 2011/12, a record in the club's history[5](https://www.fcbarcelona.com/fcbarcelona/document/2025/05/22/f5d30534-bafc-492c-993d-c855433fc62e/MEM_CLUB_2013_14_ENG_compressed.pdf) |
## A final season under Guardiola
2011/12 marked Pep Guardiola's fourth and final season as Barça coach. After the Champions League semi-final defeat against Chelsea, the blaugrana boss announced that he would be leaving at the end of the season.[1](https://www.fcbarcelona.com/en/guardiolas-barcelona) Across his four years in charge he had won 14 of a possible 19 trophies, including two Champions League titles and three [La Liga](https://www.edgepedia.org/la-liga) championships.[1](https://www.fcbarcelona.com/en/guardiolas-barcelona)
The squad remained built around the academy. In the 2011-12 season Guardiola fielded an eleven of [Víctor Valdés](https://www.edgepedia.org/victor-valdes), Piqué, Cesc Fàbregas, Carles Puyol, Xavi, Andrés Iniesta, Messi, Thiago, Sergio Busquets, [Pedro](https://www.edgepedia.org/pedro-footballer-born-1987), Cuenca and Fontás at points during the campaign, and made his debut for 22 players from [La Masia](https://www.edgepedia.org/la-masia), the club's youth academy.[6](https://as.com/futbol/2016/09/04/primera/1473012865_536388.html)
## The autumn trophies
The season began in spectacular fashion. In August, Barcelona beat Real Madrid 5-4 on aggregate in the Spanish Super Cup, a two-legged tie made infamous by [José Mourinho](https://www.edgepedia.org/jose-mourinho) poking Barça assistant coach [Tito Vilanova](https://www.edgepedia.org/tito-vilanova) in the eye.[1](https://www.fcbarcelona.com/en/guardiolas-barcelona) • [3](https://theanalyst.com/articles/the-2011-clasicos) A 2-0 win over Porto followed in the [UEFA Super Cup](https://www.edgepedia.org/uefa-super-cup).[1](https://www.fcbarcelona.com/en/guardiolas-barcelona)
**FIFA Club World Cup.** In December 2011, Barcelona traveled to Japan for the Club World Cup, where they overwhelmed al-Sadd Sports Club 4-0 in the semi-finals before meeting [Santos FC](https://www.edgepedia.org/santos-fc) in the final in Yokohama on 18 December 2011.[7](https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/01f8-0e7c9d5785d3-9228e102bf4b-1000--messi-inspired-barcelona-take-world-title/) [Lionel Messi](https://www.edgepedia.org/lionel-messi) opened the scoring in the 17th minute, Xavi Hernández doubled the lead, and [Cesc Fàbregas](https://www.edgepedia.org/cesc-fabregas) made it 3-0 before half-time; Messi rounded goalkeeper Rafael Cabral for the fourth in the 82nd minute.[7](https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/01f8-0e7c9d5785d3-9228e102bf4b-1000--messi-inspired-barcelona-take-world-title/) It was Barcelona's second Club World Cup in three seasons, and it meant Guardiola's team ended the calendar year of 2011 having won five from a possible six titles.[7](https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/01f8-0e7c9d5785d3-9228e102bf4b-1000--messi-inspired-barcelona-take-world-title/) • [1](https://www.fcbarcelona.com/en/guardiolas-barcelona)
## La Liga: runners-up to a record Real Madrid
Real Madrid, coached by José Mourinho, won the 2011/12 Liga with 100 points, a total then unmatched in the competition's history, from 32 wins, 4 draws, and 2 losses, scoring 121 goals and conceding 32.[2](https://fbref.com/en/squads/206d90db/2011-2012/c12/Barcelona-Stats-La-Liga) Records tumbled on both sides that season: Madrid's 32 victories from 38 games, 121 goals scored, and 100 points accrued, while Barcelona scored 114 times in the league, 50 of which came from Messi.[3](https://theanalyst.com/articles/the-2011-clasicos)
Barcelona's home form stayed strong. Under Guardiola the team won 11 consecutive home league games between October 2011 and April 2012.[8](https://as.com/futbol/champions/el-spotify-camp-nou-una-fortaleza-f202601-n/)
## Champions League and Copa del Rey
In the Champions League, Barcelona played 12 matches, winning 8, drawing 3, and losing 1 on the way to the semi-finals.[4](https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/history/clubs/50080--barcelona/) There they lost against Chelsea, the defeat that prompted Guardiola's announcement that he would leave.[1](https://www.fcbarcelona.com/en/guardiolas-barcelona) The UEFA technical report for the 2011/12 competition noted that Barcelona were alone in registering over 200 attempts at goal, of which 46% were on target.[9](https://www.uefa.com/multimediafiles/download/technicalreport/competitions/ucl/01/85/88/06/1858806_download.pdf)
The Copa del Rey provided Guardiola's final trophy as Barça boss, won thanks to a 3-0 victory over Athletic Club in the final.[1](https://www.fcbarcelona.com/en/guardiolas-barcelona) His final home game in charge came on 5 May 2012 against local rivals Espanyol, where the fans came to say goodbye to a coach who had won 14 of a possible 19 trophies.[1](https://www.fcbarcelona.com/en/guardiolas-barcelona) • [13](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/18216611)
## Messi and the wider club
Lionel Messi's 50 league goals led the Barcelona attack, part of a season in which the team's 114 league goals came alongside the Champions League and cup campaigns.[3](https://theanalyst.com/articles/the-2011-clasicos) The club's annual report lists the 2011/12 Golden Shoe among Messi's awards, and the second Club World Cup of the club's history (2011/12) among its highlights.[10](https://www.fcbarcelona.com/fcbarcelona/document/2022/10/10/6c6c46dd-55a8-44f1-a34c-1c971a5d02e5/Annual-report.pdf) • [5](https://www.fcbarcelona.com/fcbarcelona/document/2025/05/22/f5d30534-bafc-492c-993d-c855433fc62e/MEM_CLUB_2013_14_ENG_compressed.pdf)
In addition to the first team's success, the professional sections claimed 17 official titles in 2011/12, an unprecedented tally in Barça's history that the 2014/15 season would later equal.[5](https://www.fcbarcelona.com/fcbarcelona/document/2025/05/22/f5d30534-bafc-492c-993d-c855433fc62e/MEM_CLUB_2013_14_ENG_compressed.pdf) • [11](https://barcaacademy.fcbarcelona.com/en/news/643923/2008-20-the-best-years-in-our-history) Guardiola left the club voluntarily at the end of the season and was replaced by his assistant Tito Vilanova, who was named coach on 27 April 2012.[12](https://www.fcbarcelona.es/es/noticias/648486/)
## References
1. [Pep Guardiola's Barcelona, FC Barcelona Official Website](https://www.fcbarcelona.com/en/guardiolas-barcelona)
2. [2011-2012 Barcelona Stats, La Liga, FBref.com](https://fbref.com/en/squads/206d90db/2011-2012/c12/Barcelona-Stats-La-Liga)
3. [17 Days in April: A Clásico World Series, Opta Analyst](https://theanalyst.com/articles/the-2011-clasicos)
4. [Barcelona History, UEFA Champions League, UEFA.com](https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/history/clubs/50080--barcelona/)
5. [FC Barcelona Annual Report (2013/14), fcbarcelona.com](https://www.fcbarcelona.com/fcbarcelona/document/2025/05/22/f5d30534-bafc-492c-993d-c855433fc62e/MEM_CLUB_2013_14_ENG_compressed.pdf)
6. [El Barça, un 28% menos de La Masia que en el año 2013, AS](https://as.com/futbol/2016/09/04/primera/1473012865_536388.html)
7. [Messi-inspired Barcelona take world title, UEFA.com](https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/01f8-0e7c9d5785d3-9228e102bf4b-1000--messi-inspired-barcelona-take-world-title/)
8. [El Spotify Camp Nou, una fortaleza, AS](https://as.com/futbol/champions/el-spotify-camp-nou-una-fortaleza-f202601-n/)
9. [2011/12 UEFA Champions League technical report, UEFA.com](https://www.uefa.com/multimediafiles/download/technicalreport/competitions/ucl/01/85/88/06/1858806_download.pdf)
10. [FC Barcelona Annual Report, fcbarcelona.com](https://www.fcbarcelona.com/fcbarcelona/document/2022/10/10/6c6c46dd-55a8-44f1-a34c-1c971a5d02e5/Annual-report.pdf)
11. [2008-20. The best years in our history, Barça Academy](https://barcaacademy.fcbarcelona.com/en/news/643923/2008-20-the-best-years-in-our-history)
12. [Francesc 'Tito' Vilanova (2012-2013), FC Barcelona](https://www.fcbarcelona.es/es/noticias/648486/)
13. [Pep Guardiola's final game: Barcelona win Copa del Rey](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/18216611)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Association football › Football competitions and records › Seasons and editions › Club seasons › Spanish club seasons*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license