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Tito Vilanova

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In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Vilanova and the second or maternal family name is Bayó.
Tito Vilanova
Vilanova in 2012
Personal information
Full name Francesc Vilanova Bayó
Date of birth (1968-09-17)17 September 1968
Place of birth Bellcaire d'Empordà, Spain
Date of death 25 April 2014(2014-04-25) (aged 45)
Place of death Barcelona, Spain
Height 1.82 m (5 ft 11+1⁄2 in)
Position(s) Midfielder
Youth career
1984–1987 Barcelona
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1987–1988 Barcelona C 35 (3)
1988–1990 Barcelona B 52 (6)
1990–1992 Figueres 72 (6)
1992–1995 Celta 26 (1)
1995–1996 Badajoz 33 (2)
1996–1997 Mallorca 10 (0)
1997–1998 Lleida 21 (3)
1998–2000 Elche 63 (6)
2000–2001 Gramenet 28 (2)
Total 340 (29)
Managerial career
2002–2003 Barcelona (youth)
2003–2004 Palafrugell
2005–2006 Figueres
2006–2007 Terrassa
2007–2008 Barcelona B (assistant)
2008–2012 Barcelona (assistant)
2012–2013 Barcelona
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Francesc "Tito" Vilanova Bayó (17 September 1968 – 25 April 2014) was a Spanish professional football central midfielder and manager.

After a career which consisted of a total of 26 La Liga matches in three seasons, all with Celta, he went on to work with Barcelona as an assistant coach under Pep Guardiola, being part of the squad that had won 14 titles.[1]

Vilanova was appointed as first-team manager in 2012, winning La Liga in his only season. He stepped down in July 2013 due to ill health, and died the next year from throat cancer.

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.[1] His next club was also in his native region, UE Figueres, with the player helping to its best-ever Segunda División classification in the 1991–92 campaign (third place); the team would eventually face Cádiz CF in the promotion play-offs, losing 3–1 on aggregate.[2]

Subsequently, Vilanova moved to the top division with RC Celta de Vigo, but appeared rarely over three full seasons,[3] returning to division two in 1995 and representing CD Badajoz, RCD Mallorca – contributing ten matches as the Balearic Islands side promoted to the top flight – UE Lleida and Elche CF, retiring in December 2001 with lowly UDA Gramenet.[4][5]

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.[6]

Coaching career

Vilanova (far right) as an assistant manager of Barcelona B

Vilanova started his coaching career with FC Barcelona's youth squad Cadet B in 2002 after the club had promised him a coaching role should he decide to retire. Tito came into a team boasting promising talents like Lionel Messi, Cesc Fabregas and Gerard Pique and is considered the first coach to experiment with Messi in the role of false 9.[7] As coach of the Cadet B squad, the team beat Espanyol's Junior A team to the title and also won the Meastrelli Cup in Pisa, winning the final against Parma 2-0.

In 2003–04, Tito Vilanova took charge of Tercera División side FC Palafrugell but suffered relegation to Primera Catalana.[8][9] After working as technical director at Terrassa FC he was appointed assistant manager at FC Barcelona B, under manager Pep Guardiola, with the team in the fourth tier.[1]

In the summer of 2008, after leading the reserves to promotion to Segunda División B, Vilanova and Guardiola were assigned to the first team, replacing Dutch duo Frank Rijkaard and Johan Neeskens.[1] His first year at the Camp Nou was the most successful in the club's history, with the side winning six major trophies and becoming the first in Spain to conquer the Copa del Rey, league and UEFA Champions League titles (the treble) in the same season.[10]

Tito was the first person who had faith in me because at the time, I was a substitute or didn't play, and he was the one who made me starter in the under-16 category.

—Lionel Messi[11]

On 27 April 2012, at the press conference in which Barcelona confirmed Guardiola's departure, it was also announced that Vilanova would be his successor;[12] on 15 June, he signed a two-year contract.[13] The same year, Lionel Messi revealed that Vilanova was the first coach at the club to trust him, and made him a starter for their under-16 teams.[11]

Vilanova managed to field 11 academy graduates at the same time in a league game against Levante UD on 25 November 2012, after Dani Alves left with an injury early on and was replaced by Martín Montoya.[14][11] His team went on to lose only eight competitive matches during the campaign, scoring at least once in every league fixture and winning their 22nd domestic championship by a record margin of 15 points, totalling 100 in the process.[15][16]

Following his death, the Trofeo Maestrelli organizers decided to rename the trophy awarded to the best coach of Europe in his honor, citing his human qualities and coaching achievements.[17] Tito had previously won the youth under-16 Maestrelli Cup back in 2002.

Health issues and death

On 19 December 2012, Barcelona announced that Vilanova was suffering from parotid gland cancer for the second time.[18][19] He was first diagnosed on 22 November of the previous year.[20]

Vilanova underwent surgery on 20 December 2012, subsequently being in chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatment for around six weeks.[21] Assistant Jordi Roura took over as head coach, with Vilanova returning to the bench in late March 2013.[22]

On 19 July 2013, Vilanova resigned as Barcelona manager as he relapsed from his condition, stating that the related treatment was not compatible with the status of a professional manager.[23][24] He died on 25 April 2014, due to complications from cancer, at the age of 45 after suffering a relapse the previous week.[25][26]

Personal life

Vilanova was married to Montse Chaure.[27] The couple had two children, daughter Carlota and son Adrià, with the latter also being involved in Barcelona's youth system.[28]

In 2013, while Vilanova was in New York City for his cancer treatment, Guardiola was also living in the city on a sabbatical. He was disappointed that Guardiola only came to see him once, stating, "He's my friend and I needed him, but he wasn't there for me."[29][30]

Honours

Manager

Individual

Managerial statistics

Team From To Record[32][33][34]
G W D L GF GA GD Win %
Barcelona 1 July 2012 19 July 2013 45 34 6 5 121 51 +70 075.56

References

  1. ^ a b c d Marcet, Jaume (22 June 2008). "Guardiola's right-hand man". FC Barcelona. Retrieved 29 December 2009.
  2. ^ Argudo, Javier (17 November 2019). "Cuando la UE Figueres rozó el ascenso a Primera División" [When UE Figueres nearly promoted to Primera División] (in Spanish). Fútbol Retro. Retrieved 2 April 2021.
  3. ^ "Tito Vilanova" (in Spanish). Yo Jugué en el Celta. 27 August 2009. Retrieved 2 May 2014.
  4. ^ Shaw, Duncan (28 December 2008). "Guardiola's dilemma: should I stay or should I go?". Monsters and Critics. Retrieved 29 December 2009.
  5. ^ Ayala, Manuel (21 December 2001). "Xuts" [Kicks]. Mundo Deportivo (in Catalan). Barcelona. Retrieved 2 December 2012.
  6. ^ "Tito Vilanova, el primer a marcar un gol a Mourinho com a entrenador" [Tito Vilanova, first to score goal against Mourinho as a manager]. Ara (in Catalan). 4 May 2012. Retrieved 4 May 2012.
  7. ^ Balague, Guillem (2022). Messi. London: Orion Publishing Group Ltd. pp. 155–156. ISBN 9781399605809.
  8. ^ Fibla, A.; Noguer, I. (1 May 2012). "Sempre ho ha tingut clar" [It has always been clear to him]. El Punt (in Catalan). Girona. Retrieved 2 December 2012.
  9. ^ Roura, Jordi (28 April 2012). "De Palafrugell al Camp Nou en 10 anys" [From Palafrugell to the Camp Nou in 10 years]. Diari de Girona (in Catalan). Retrieved 2 December 2012.
  10. ^ "Guardiola: Barca are the "best team in the world"". ESPN Soccernet. 27 May 2008. Retrieved 29 December 2009.
  11. ^ a b c Schepanskyi, Den (April 2021). "Messi: 'Tito was the first person who had faith in me because at the time, I was a substitute or didn't play'". Tribuna. Archived from the original on 29 May 2021. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
  12. ^ "Vilanova follows Guardiola". ESPN Soccernet. 27 April 2012. Retrieved 27 April 2012.
  13. ^ "Tito Vilanova to sign deal to become Barcelona manager". BBC Sport. 14 June 2012. Retrieved 14 June 2012.
  14. ^ Soria, Miki (25 November 2012). "Cumplió el sueño de jugar con once jugadores de La Masia" [Dream of playing with eleven players from La Masia fulfilled]. Sport (in Spanish). Retrieved 3 June 2021.
  15. ^ a b Paniagua, Mario (19 July 2013). "Tito Vilanova, una temporada de récord" [Tito Vilanova, a record season] (in Spanish). Cadena SER. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
  16. ^ "Tito Vilanova, el glorioso del barcelonismo" [Tito Vilanova, the glorious one of barcelonismo]. Fox Sports (in Spanish). 25 April 2014. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
  17. ^ "Tito Vilanova donarà nom al trofeu Maestrelli al millor entrenador europeu". 2 December 2014. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
  18. ^ Giménez, Santi (19 December 2012). "Tito recae en su enfermedad" [Tito relapses in illness]. Diario AS (in Spanish). Retrieved 19 December 2012.
  19. ^ "Tito Vilanova recae de su enfermedad" [Tito relapses in illness]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). 19 December 2012. Retrieved 19 December 2012.
  20. ^ Escorcia, Dagoberto (22 November 2011). "Tito Vilanova, operado de un tumor en Barcelona" [Tito Vilanova, tumor surgery in Barcelona]. La Vanguardia (in Spanish). Retrieved 19 December 2012.
  21. ^ "Tito Vilanova será operado este jueves" [Tito Vilanova to be operated Thursday] (in Spanish). FC Barcelona. 19 December 2012. Retrieved 19 December 2012.
  22. ^ Herrero, Gemma (22 March 2013). "Roura viaja con el billete para Vilanova" [Roura travels with ticket to Vilanova]. Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 2 May 2014.
  23. ^ "Tito Vilanova: Barcelona manager steps down through ill health". BBC Sport. 19 July 2013. Retrieved 19 July 2013.
  24. ^ Cabezas, Francisco (19 July 2013). "Tito Vilanova deja el Barça" [Tito Vilanova leaves Barça]. El Mundo (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 July 2013.
  25. ^ "Muere Tito Vilanova" [Tito Vilanova dies]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). 25 April 2014. Retrieved 25 April 2014.
  26. ^ "Ex-Barcelona coach loses cancer battle aged 45". BBC Sport. 25 April 2014. Retrieved 29 April 2014.
  27. ^ "Montse Chaure/ Montse Vilanova: FC Barcelona coach Tito Vilanova's wife". Fabwags. 2 April 2013. Retrieved 25 April 2014.
  28. ^ "Adrià Vilanova, hijo de Tito, se entrena con el Barcelona" [Adrià Vilanova, son of Tito, trains with Barcelona]. Diario AS (in Spanish). 26 September 2013. Retrieved 2 May 2014.
  29. ^ "Barcelona's Tito Vilanova 'surprised' by Pep Guardiola accusations". The Guardian. 16 July 2013. Archived from the original on 29 May 2021. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
  30. ^ Peck, Brooks (26 April 2014). "Pep Guardiola mourns the death of Tito Vilanova during Bayern Munich victory". Yahoo! Sports. Archived from the original on 29 May 2021. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
  31. ^ Egea, Pablo; Olmedo, Álvaro (2 December 2013). "La gran fiesta del fútbol español" [The great party of Spanish football]. Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 9 November 2020.
  32. ^ Tito Vilanova coach profile at Soccerway
  33. ^ "FC Barcelona" (in German). Kicker. Retrieved 25 April 2014.
  34. ^ "FC Barcelona » Manager history". Worldfootball. Retrieved 25 April 2014.
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