Francesc “Tito” Vilanova i Bayó (17 September 1968 – 25 April 2014) was a Spanish manager and footballer who played as a central midfielder.
After a professional playing career which culminated in three seasons in La Liga, where he played 26 games in three seasons for Celta de Vigo, Vilanova went on to work with Barcelona as an assistant coach under Pep Guardiola, being part of the squads that won 14 titles.
In 2012 Vilanova was appointed first-team manager, winning the La Liga title in his first season. Vilanova resigned as Barcelona coach due to ill health in July 2013, ten months before his death from cancer.
Barcelona: Former Barcelona coach Tito Vilanova has died aged 45 following a battle with cancer that forced him to stand down at the end of last season, the club announced on Friday.
Playing Career
Born in Bellcaire d’Empordà, Girona, Catalonia, Vilanova emerged in the youth ranks of local FC Barcelona, but left the La Liga giants in 1990 unable to break through into the first team. His next club was also in his native region, UE Figueres, with the player helping the team to its best-ever Segunda División classification in the 1991–92 season (third place); the club would eventually face Cádiz CF in the promotion play-offs, losing 1–3 on aggregate. Subsequently Vilanova moved to the top level with Celta de Vigo, but appeared rarely over the course of three full seasons, returning to division two in 1995 and representing CD Badajoz, RCD Mallorca – contributing with ten games as the Balearic Islands side promoted to the top flight – UE Lleida and Elche CF, retiring in December 2001 with lowly UDA Gramenet in his native region.
During his time at Lleida, in a 1998 Copa Catalunya game against Barcelona, coached by José Mourinho who swapped responsibilities with head coach Louis van Gaal during the tournament, Vilanova scored a goal, becoming the first player to net against a team directed by the Portuguese. Continue reading
kepoer 