Billy Joel may argue that “only the good die young.”
But on Friday, April 25, the soccer world lost someone who was truly great.
Former Barcelona manager Tito Vilanova passed away at the early age of 45 after losing his battle with throat cancer. Rumor swirled that Vilanova had been admitted into a hospital for unknown complications. After a period of uncertainty, the bad news was eventually released that Vilanova had died.
Vilanova was hardly a household name, but players and coaches within the soccer world mourned the loss of a true soccer genius. His playing career was practically non-existent. He started in the famous Barcelona youth academy, La Masia, but never broke into the first team. After two years with Barcelona B, he left. For the rest of his 11-year career, Vilanova bounced around the Spanish second division.
Vilanova made the quick transition into coaching after hanging up his boots. In 2007, Vilanova returned to Barcelona to be an assistant for Barcelona B. Vilanova, alongside head coach Pep Guardiola guided the B team to promotion into the second division of Spanish soccer. After just one year in charge of Barcelona B, the duo was promoted to take over coaching the first team.
Little did Guardiola and Vilanova know, they were about to turn the soccer world on its head. In their first season at the Camp Nou in 2008-09, Barcelona had its most successful season in club history by capturing six trophies. Barcelona also became the first team in Spanish history to win the treble by capturing the league title and both domestic and European cups in the same year.
Guardiola led Barcelona to 14 trophies in four seasons, making him the most successful manager in the club’s history. Barcelona won every trophy it possibly could have won. Guardiola’s tika-taka style of quick passing, possession, and movement off the ball was unstoppable. But despite Guardiola always being in the spotlight for his incredible success, he always thanked his partner: Vilanova.
Guardiola went on his sabbatical, but quickly returned to coaching by taking over at Bayern Munich this year. Vilanova took over at Barcelona after Guardiola’s departure despite battling his cancer. Vilanova still managed to guide Barcelona to a league title in 2012-13, equaling the record for most points in a single season. Vilanova’s health eventually got the better of him, and forced him away from soccer. Less than a year later, he lost his life.
Guardiola looked deeply saddened by the passing of Vilanova during Bayern’s 5-2 win over the weekend. Cameras caught Guardiola failing to even notice his team had score a go-ahead goal midway through the second half.
“It was difficult for me to follow the match today. Tito was more than a friend,” Guardiola told reporters after the match. “The sadness I feel will accompany me for the rest of my life. We were young, we wanted to beat the world, and we did.”
In honor of Vilanova’s passing, Bayern players and coaches wore black armbands. Other Spanish players such as Manchester United’s David de Gea and Juan Mata also wore black armbands in honor of Vilanova.
Barcelona also won its match this weekend, going on the road to defeat Villareal 3-2. But fans did not seem to feel sorry for the Catalan giants, as racist fans threw a banana at Barcelona’s Brazilian right back.
What Vilanova was able to accomplish was astonishing. He is a wonderful example of a person who can achieve great things while battling an illness that eventually took his life.