, the club have confirmed
after an unsuccessful emergency surgery on
Friday.
The Catalan coach has tragically passed
away at the age of just 45 after losing his
battle with cancer, but his legacy at
Camp Nou will last forever.
"FC Barcelona is in immense mourning. Tito
Vilanova has died at the age of 45. May he rest in
peace," said a statement from the Spanish club.
"The club wishes to express its most heartfelt
sympathy to his family, who are being joined in
these moments of mourning by FC Barcelona
members and fans all around the world, as well as
the rest of the footballing and sporting world.
"The Vilanova family has asked for respect for
their desire for the strictest intimacy in the
moments after his death."
LIFE ACHIEVEMENTS AND RECORDS
Tito Vilanova at Barcelona
2 Vilanova came through the youth system at
La Masia and featured for two years at Barca B:
1988-1990.
14 Tito won 14 out of a possible 19 trophies as
Pep Guardiola's assistant between 2008 and
2012.
60 During his season as coach in 2012-13,
Barca played 60 games (won 43, drew nine
and lost eight).
100 His only trophy came in La Liga, but was
won with a joint-record 100 points.
158 During Tito's tenure, Barca scored 158
times, including a record 73 by Lionel Messi.
They conceded 70.
After a successful season at Barca B, president
Joan Laporta told Guardiola he would be ideal
as a replacement for the outgoing Frank
Rijkaard. "You don't have the balls to do it,"
Pep replied.
But Laporta did and promoted Pep - along with
Tito - to the first team. What followed was the
most successful season in the Catalan club's
history: a tremendous treble of Liga, Copa del
Rey and Champions League trophies.
The Blaugrana then made it six out of six by
adding the Spanish Supercopa, the Uefa Super
Cup and the Club World Cup over the following
months and the side became known as "the
Barca of the six cups". A lasting legacy of both
Pep and Tito and, poignantly, Vilanova's son
Adria (now a youth-team player at the Catalan
club) tweeted a picture of his father
celebrating with that team on Sunday with the
message: "I saw the Barca of the six cups.
Greats!"
In those early years, Vilanova shunned the
limelight and was happy to stay behind the
more media-friendly Guardiola. But all of that
changed in a Spanish Supercopa clash at
Camp Nou in 2011, when Jose Mourinho poked
the then assistant coach in the eye.
Tito took time out that same season (2011-12,
Guardiola's final campaign in charge) as he
underwent surgery to remove a tumour in his
throat and was subsequently treated for
cancer. But he felt sufficiently strong to replace
Pep when the former Barca boss said he would
leave for a sabbatical in 2012. There was,
however, a word of warning from his friend.
"Life has handed this kid such a hard test,"
Guardiola told the media. "You don't know how
much he suffered. But he got over it."
Vilanova led Barca to La Liga in 2012-13 with a
total of 100 points to equal the record set by
Jose Mourinho's Real Madrid the previous
season, but he missed two months of the
campaign after suffering a relapse of his throat
cancer in December 2012 and was forced to
step down last summer.
It hadn't been part of the plan, but routine
tests highlighted his need for rest and a more
rigurous treatment of the disease. So Tito left
to fight the disease away from the spotlight,
although never far from the hearts of fans and
everyone else at Barcelona.
In October, Barca dedicated a message of
support to their former boss in a spectacular
mosaic before kick-off in the Clasico against
Real Madrid which read "Força Tito", and the
Catalan coach was back at Camp Nou in
January to watch his beloved team. A Legend who would be forever remembered in catalan colours, who fought through thin and thick and a man dedicated to giving football his 100%. May his soul rest in peace!
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