Tito Vilanova steps down as Barcelona Manager

Barcelona coach Tito Vilanova

 Barcelona football club has announced that Tito Vilanova has stepped down as manager due to ill health. Vilanova has been battling throat cancer since succeeding Pep Guardiola at the end of the 2011-2012 season and has taken the initiative to be able to continue with his cancer treatment and according to the club the new manager will be announced next week.

The surprise announcement has has disrupted the preparations of the Spanish champions for next season.

Speaking during a hastily conveyed press conference attended by first team squad, a rather grim faced Barcelona President Sandro Rosell announced the sad news and said that the club had decided to cancel Saturday’s friendly against Polish side Lechia Gdansk and added that Vilanova will not be able to continue as Barca head coach as he will be having treatment.

“This is a very severe blow to the Club but life goes on, we have overcome many difficult setbacks before,” he said

The 44 year-old Spaniard who, last season catapulted Barca to a fourth La Liga crown in five years and equaled Madrid’s 100 points in La Liga, stroked a good partnership with now Bayern Munich coach Pep Guardiola, graduating from Barca’s academy together and coaching B side before taking hold of the first team in 2008 when Frank Rijkaard left.

Tito Vilanova and Pep Guardiola during their reign

Together they formed a formidable team and produced the best out of the player leading the club to a spectacular 4 year conquest including 2 champion league crowns and 3 La Liga tittles. It is also under their wing that Lionel Messi discovered his true potential propelling him to winning a record four consecutive world best player tittles.

It might be a sad exit for Vilanova who had previously worked as Pep Guardiola’s assistant and took the mantle from Pep Guardiola as Barcelona manager in June 2012, but he surely leaves big shoes to be filled and however will replace him must surely prove his worth.

Reports from Spain suggest that former Girona head coach Joan Francesc Ferrer, popularly known as Rubi who joined Barcelona coaching staff last month as Vilanova’s assistant after guiding Girona to play offs in division 2 losing to Almeria, is the likeliest replacement for Vilanova in a caretaker capacity.