Despite having left in mid-2021, Barcelona continues to be the second home of Lionel Messi. The 34 titles achieved with the entity left their mark on the history of a club that spent its golden years hand in hand with Leowho maintains a close relationship with the Barcelona. During his time, he had to be part of the legendary team led by Pep Guardiolaas well as having deep ties with his successors, but the name of Francesc Vilanova i Bayobetter known as Titus Vilanova caused a before and after in the Rosario’s career.
The strong bond that united the world champion with Guardiola’s right-hand man and subsequent coach of the Blaugrana He had different displays of affection from the Argentine from April 25, 2014 to date. That specific day was when Vilanova died after undergoing treatment for parotid gland cancer. Today, a decade after that event, the man from Rosario remembered the moment and left a sensitive message on his personal account. instagramfollowed by more than 500 million people.
“10 years now, we have not forgotten you Tito”wrote in a story from the platform with an image of both with the technician’s hands on the star’s shoulders in the middle of an atmosphere full of smiles. The assistant pep Between 2008 and 2012 he took over the reins of the team in the middle of that last year and had to interrupt his cycle for a few months due to illness. He was champion of the Spanish League in 2012/13 in the middle of a historic campaign: Barcelona reaped 100 points with 32 wins, 4 draws and 2 losses; Lionel Messi was the top scorer with 46 goals. He left office days later following a relapse in his condition.
It is not the first time that the captain of the Inter Miami He has this gesture with his former coach because in 2020 he uploaded an image to his social networks with the following phrase: “Tito forever eternal” (“Tito forever eternal”, in Catalan).
In addition, Messi had a participation in the documentary titled “100×100 Tito”, which was carried out by Barcelona with the aim of reclaiming the legacy left by the coach who died at the age of 45. “I had many conversations, but we always talked about football and what happened in the games. Or what could happen in the games to come, but The most special was the last one because it was like a farewell too…“, he stated in the audiovisual piece in which Xavi, Andrés Iniesta, Cesc Fábregas, Sergio Busquets, Carles Puyol, Pedro, Gerard Piqué and Thierry Henry also participated.
Some details of that farewell were revealed by Jordi Rouraformer field assistant to Tito Vilanova in the 2012-13 academic year, in the program No Concessions of Radio Kanal Barcelona: “It was a stage in which Tito was in delicate moments, and it is true that at that time Leo was not clear about its continuity.. It is true that this meeting occurred. I was not there, they spent many hours talking and it is also true that I do not know what was talked about, and what is true is that Messi changed his approach and, fortunately for Barcelona fans, decided to continue here”. The conclave took place six days before the counselor’s deathwhich occurred on April 25, 2014. On May 19 of that year, the Flea renewed his contract.
During his time as a player, Tito Vilanova began his career at Barcelona, although he never played in the Primera and had to emigrate to different institutions such as Celta, Badajoz, Mallorca and Elche, among others. His greatest contribution to the activity was on the substitute bench. He began his path in the Youth of the Culés until he took control of the Barça B in 2007, a position he arrived at because he was a person of utmost trust for Josep Guardiola. In July 2012, he assumed the role of successor and, at the end of that calendar, he was required to initiate a cancer treatment.
