Former Barcelona coach Tito Vilanova has died at the age of 45 after losing his battle with cancer, the club have confirmed.
The ex-central midfielder was admitted to hospital on Thursday following a downturn in his health which required an operation on his stomach, with club president Josep Maria Bartomeu confirming the trainer was "fighting" for his life.
However, Vilanova, whose post-playing career was plagued by cancer, passed away on Friday afternoon.
Vilanova's public health problems began during his final season as Pep Guardiola's assistant when he was diagnosed with cancer of the parotid gland.
He took over from his long-time friend for the 2012-13 season but suffered a relapse just six months into his tenure as head coach.
He underwent surgery in December 2012, with Jordi Roura taking his place on the bench while he recovered in New York, before returning in March 2013 to see out the rest of the reason and guide Barca to La Liga glory.
However, his continued health problems saw him step down as coach of the Catalans last summer, with Gerardo Martino taking the reins in his place.
Vilanova has largely - and understandably - been out of the spotlight since he left his position at Camp Nou but rumours of his ill health have sadly been revealed to be true. He is survived by a wife and two children.
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