© EuroFootball.com
On Friday afternoon, the life of former "Barcelona" head coach Tito Vilanova extinguished in the "Quiron" hospital in the capital of Catalonia.
The 45-year-old football specialist lost his battle with throat cancer, which was diagnosed two years ago.
In November 2011, a malignant throat tumor was discovered in the former assistant to Josep Guardiola. T. Vilanova underwent surgery, but the surgical intervention did not help him recover, so he had to undergo chemotherapy sessions and temporarily leave his job at the club to consult with specialists in the United States.
However, in the summer of 2012, when J. Guardiola stepped down from his role as "Barcelona" coach, his former assistant decided to take on the challenge and become the head coach.
However, health problems continued to plague Tito. He had to travel to the United States again, where he received treatment for almost three months. During his absence, his assistant Jordi Roura temporarily took over.
In March 2013, T. Vilanova once again took the reins of "Barcelona", finishing the season with the Spanish championship trophy, and believed he had the strength to continue working.
However, in the same summer, the coach had to change his plans again - worsening health and additional chemotherapy sessions took a toll on his body, so he decided to step down.
On July 19, the then "Barcelona" president Sandro Rosell announced that T. Vilanova would dedicate all his time to treatment and would not work with the team. Shortly after, the Catalan club officially announced that the severely ill football specialist would be replaced by Gerardo Martino.
In 2014, T. Vilanova attended several "Barcelona" matches at the Camp Nou stadium, watched youth academy team games, and observed his son Adria Vilanova playing, but tried to stay in the background.
On Tuesday, due to a sudden deterioration in his condition, T. Vilanova was urgently taken to the "Quiron" hospital in Barcelona, where on Friday he ultimately lost the battle to the insidious disease.
