''Don Balón'' is a Spanish weekly sports magazine specializing in Spanish and international

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

. The magazine was published in Barcelona between 1975 and 2011. It was distributed on five continents. Since 2011 ''Don Balón'' has been a fully digital media outlet. It is still considered one of the most influential football media outlets in the Spanish speaking world.

History and profile

The magazine was founded in 1975 by José María Casanovas, a very well known Spanish sport journalist, who had the idea of creating an internationally recognized sport magazine. In the same year he also founded the daily sport newspaper ''

Sport Sport pertains to any form of Competition, competitive physical activity or game that aims to use, maintain, or improve physical ability and Skill, skills while providing enjoyment to participants and, in some cases, entertainment to specta ...

'', which focuses on

FC Barcelona Futbol Club Barcelona (), commonly referred to as Barcelona and colloquially known as Barça (), is a professional football club based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, that competes in La Liga, the top flight of Spanish football. Founded ...

. ''Don Balón'' had its headquarters in Barcelona. The magazine was published on a weekly basis and was a member of the European Sports Magazines association along with similar publications '' World Soccer'', ''

Kicker Kicker or The Kicker may refer to: Sports * Placekicker, a position in American and Canadian football * ''Kicker'' (sports magazine), in Germany * Kicker, the German colloquial term for an association football player * Kicker, the word used i ...

'', and ''

A Bola ''A Bola'' (; en, literally "The Ball", in this context "The Game of Football") is a Portuguese sports newspaper published in Lisbon. History and profile ''A Bola'' was founded in 1945 by Cândido de Oliveira and Ribeiro dos Reis, and was ...

''. ''Don Balón'' published special magazine supplements every year on

La Liga The Campeonato Nacional de Liga de Primera División, commonly known simply as Primera División in Spain, and as La Liga in English-speaking countries and officially as LaLiga Santander for sponsorship reasons, stylized as LaLiga, is the men's ...

and European competitions. In 1976 the magazine launched the '' Premio Don Balón'' (

Don Balón Award From 1976 until 2010, the Spanish sports magazine ''Don Balón'' conferred the Don Balón Award (''Premio Don Balón'') to the best Spanish player, the best foreign player, the best referee and the breakthrough player in La Liga. These awards cease ...

) yearly to the best Spanish player, the best foreign player, the best coach, the best referee and the breakthrough player in

. The magazine also produced an annual list of 100 young players, who they felt had huge potential, from across the world. When the magazine ceased publishing, ''In Bed with Maradona'', an online football journal, continued this list In Bed with Maradona
/ref> The magazine disappeared in September 2011 due to the economic crisis and the decline of revenues. Don Balon is now a fully digital sports media outlet run by new management.

References

External links

* Javier Martín:
Don Balón se acerca al cierre tras 36 años ininterrumpidos en los quioscos
', elEconomista.es, 7 September 2011 * ''Cierra la revista Don Balón'',

Mundo Deportivo ''Mundo Deportivo'' (; meaning ''Sports World'' in English) is a Spanish nationwide daily sports newspaper published in Barcelona. History and profile ''Mundo Deportivo'' was first published on 1 February 1906, as a weekly newspaper, and since 1 ...

, Barcelona, 22 September 2011
Official web site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Don Balon 1975 establishments in Spain 2011 disestablishments in Spain Association football magazines Defunct magazines published in Spain Magazines established in 1975 Magazines disestablished in 2011 Magazines published in Barcelona Spanish-language magazines Sports mass media in Catalonia Sports mass media in Spain Weekly magazines published in Spain Online magazines with defunct print editions

History and profile

See also

References

External links