SPAIN: Barcelona bid Tito Vilanova final farewell

Apr 28, 2014 10:19:00 PM
Around 1,500 people attended a
religious ceremony on Monday
evening to say goodbye to the Catalan
coach, whose two teenage children
both made beautiful speeches
Friends, family, former colleagues and key
figures from the world of football joined
together at Barcelona's cathedral on Monday
evening to bid a final farewell to Tito
Vilanova.
The ex-Barca boss lost his two-and-a-half
year battle with cancer on Friday at the age
of 45 and some 53,000 fans turned out at
Camp Nou over the weekend to pay respects
to the Catalan coach, many of them leaving
flowers and messages.
Many more well-wishers and fans flocked to
the centre of Barcelona on Monday, which
was broadcast on two giant screens outside
the cathedral.
Inside, Barcelona's board, past presidents,
current coaching staff and the entire first-
team squad were present, along with Catalan
leader Artur Mas and other prominent
personalities from the world of football, such
as former Bayern Munich boss Jupp
Heynckes and Espanyol trainer Javier
Aguirre.
"Today is a very sad day for FC Barcelona,"
said club president Josep Maria Bartomeu in
his speech. "We promise that he will remain
deep in our hearts and that we'll never forget
him."
Jordi Roura, one of Vilanova's best friends,
also addressed the congregation. "You
always said you were a normal guy, but in
the end you weren't. A normal person doesn't
receive all this [affection and love]," he said,
in reference to the huge outpouring of
support for Tito.
"And don't worry about your children," he
added. "We will take good care of them."
At the end of the ceremony, Carlota (19) and
Adria (17) then took to the stage and each
made a beautiful speech in honour of their
father.
"Our father was our hero, he was the example
we followed, and he was my first love,"
Carlota said. "Love that I felt when I didn't
even know what love was."
"Nothing fell out of the sky for my father. His
passion for football, his hard work and his
dedication allowed him to achieve his dream
of coaching Barca, the team that has always
been in his heart.
Adria, a promising defender in Barca's youth
team, added: "I'm so grateful for everything
you taught me. The best present you gave
me was 17 years by my side. I'll dedicate all
my successes to you and your memory will
help me to overcome difficulties. You will be
my guardian angel."
The pair left stage to huge applause and the
ceremony ended with a cry of " Visca Tito
Vilanova " from one of the guests, which was
repeated by a large number of those present.