10 years without Tito Vilanova
The date of 25 April will always be one to remember in the FC Barcelona calendar as it was on that in 2014 that Tito Vilanova passed away at the age of 45. The man from the Empordà region of Catalonia was diagnosed with cancer in late 2011 and unfortunately succumbed to the disease less than three years later, leaving a hole that is difficult to fill in the blaugrana family.
April 2024 sees the 10th anniversary of the passing of a vital figure in the recent history of FC Barcelona. His name lives on at the club with the main training pitch named after Tito Vilanova at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper. The league title he claimed as coach, reaching 100 points, in 2012/13 is remembered as a special but difficult without forgetting his role as assistant coach at Barça during the Pep Guardiola years.
Key figure in the best Barça in history
As a player Vilanova passed through La Masia and managed to represent the first team in two friendlies in 1989. However, it was a coach that he made his name, starting his managerial career with FC Barcelona in 2001/02 when he took charge of the team’s U16B squad which none other than featured Gerard Piqué, Cesc Fàbregas and Leo Messi. He then managed Palafrugell, Figueres and Terrassa before re-joining the Club with when he took the role of assistant to Josep Guardiola at Barça Atlètic for the 2007/08 season.
The two coaches, unknowingly, laid the foundations for the best Barça team in history before taking over the first for the 2008/09 season, going on to win 14 trophies in four seasons and playing a brand of football that was lauded around the world.
The 100 point Barça
After Guardiola's announcement in April 2012 that he would leave the Club at the end of the season, Tito Vilanova was chosen as his successor. In Barça’s La Liga campaign in 2012/13, his team won 100 points to set a new league record and they took control of the top of the table from the first week of the competition to the last. Barça’s domination was simply unquestionable and he stats speak for themselves, Barça took 100 out of 114 possible points, 115 goals scored from 38 consecutive matches, 32 victories, 4 draws and only 2 defeats. The team also reached the semi-finals of the Champions League and the Copa del Rey.
Despite everything, it was not an easy season on a personal level. Tito Vilanova was diagnosed with cancer in November 2011 and in January 2013 the illness forced him out of action as coach until early April of the same year when he returns for a game against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League. Jordi Roura took over the first team in his absence in what was a difficult time emotionally for all involved. During the same period, defender Éric Abidal had also been suffering from liver cancer and the Frenchman made his return from illness just four days after Tito Vilanova following more than a year out of the game.
The season is remembered in the Barça Studios documentary '100x100 Tito', a time when an unprecedented piece of bad news brought a team together in its wake. The programme pays tribute to the figure of Tito Vilanova and features contributions from his family as well as players and coaching staff from that campaign.
After all that had happened, Barça were able to celebrate their 22nd league title with Tito Vilanova and Éric Abidal leading the celebrations as they lifted the trophy in front of the fans, an image that will never be forgotten.
Unfortunately, his illness forced Tito Vilanova to leave his post as coach before the start of the next season, announcing his departure in July 2013 with Gerard 'Tata' Martino his replacement. On 25 April 2014 Tito Vilanova passed away, leaving his mark forever on Barça history.