Fan-base
In Spain, 25 percent of the population supports Barcelona as their primary club, with another 7% supporting Barcelona while having another club as their primary. Throughout Europe many fans regard Barcelona as their second club. Since the 2003–04 season, the club's membership figures have risen from 100,000 to 170,000 socis in September 2009, a 70 percent increase. The sharp rise was attributed to the influence of Ronaldinho and then-president Joan Laporta's media-strategy, which focused on online media in Spanish and English. As of June 2010 there are 1,335 officially registered penyes around the world, representing an 11 percent increase since 2003. Many prominent people are recognised as Barcelona supporters, including the previous Pope John Paul II, who was an honorary member, and former prime minister of Spain, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero.
Read more about this topic: Supporters Of FC Barcelona