Editing FC Barcelona (section)

=== 1931–1939: Republic, and Civil War: Assassination of President Sunyol ===
Although they continued to have players of the standing of [[Josep Escolà]], the club now entered a period of decline, in which political conflict overshadowed sports throughout society. Attendance at matches dropped as the citizens of Barcelona were occupied with discussing political matters.<ref>Burns, Jimmy. pp. 111–112</ref> Although the team won the Campionat de Catalunya in 1930, 1931, 1932, 1934, 1936, and 1938,<ref name="rsssf1"/> they did not win at a national level in this time, with the exception of their 1937 disputed title in the [[Mediterranean League]].

A month after the [[Spanish Civil War]] began in 1936, several players from Barcelona enlisted in the ranks of those who fought against the military uprising, along with players from Athletic Bilbao.<ref>Arnaud, Pierre; Riordan, James. p. 104</ref> On 6 August, [[Falangist]] soldiers near [[Guadarrama]] murdered club president [[Josep Sunyol]], a representative of the pro-independence political party.<ref>Spaaij, Ramón. pp. 280</ref> He was dubbed the martyr of ''barcelonisme'', and his assassination was a defining moment in the history of FC Barcelona and Catalan identity.<ref>Ball, Phil. pp. 116–117</ref> In the summer of 1937, the squad was on tour in Mexico and the United States, where it was received as an ambassador of the [[Second Spanish Republic]]. The tour led to the financial security of the club, but also resulted in half of the team seeking [[right of asylum|asylum]] in Mexico and France, making it harder for the remaining team to contest for trophies.<ref>Murray, Bill. p. 70</ref><ref>Ball, Phil. pp. 118–120</ref>

On 16 March 1938, Barcelona came under aerial bombardment from the [[Italian Air Force]], causing more than 3,000 deaths, with one of the bombs hitting the club's offices.<ref>Raguer, Hilari. pp. 223–225</ref><ref>Graham, Helen. p. 351</ref> A few months later, Catalonia came under occupation, and as a symbol of the "undisciplined" [[Catalanism]], the club, now down to just 3,486 members, faced a number of restrictions. All signs of regional nationalism, including language, flag and other signs of separatism were banned throughout Spain. The [[Senyera|Catalan flag]] was banned and the club were prohibited from using non-Spanish names. These measures forced the club to change its name to ''Club de Fútbol Barcelona'' and to remove the Catalan flag from its crest.<ref>Burns, Jimmy. pp. 80–83</ref>