As those close to Barcelona and the wider football community continue to mourn the tragic death of club doctor Carles Minarro Garcia, new details surrounding his sudden passing have emerged. The Catalan giants postponed their La Liga clash against Osasuna following the news on Saturday.
The team unanimously agreed that the best thing to do was request the postponement of the match, to which La Liga agreed. In an official statement on their website, the club said: "FC Barcelona is sorry to announce the sad news of the death of first team doctor Carles Minarro Garcia this Saturday afternoon. As a result, the game between FC Barcelona and CA Osasuna has been postponed until a later date.
"The FC Barcelona Board of Directors and players wish to express their utmost sympathy to the family and friends of the deceased, and join them in mourning at such a difficult time."
Since then, fresh details have come to light, revealing the shock surrounding his unexpected loss. While the club has yet to confirm the cause of Minarro’s passing, reports in Spain have begun to shed light on the tragic circumstances, with the doctor having been seen with the squad earlier in the day.
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Barcelona v Osasuna Postponed After Death of First Team Doctor
Barcelona have released a statement in the wake of the death of their first-team doctor, Carles Minarro Garcia.
New Details of Carles Minarro Garcia's Passing
The 53-year-old suffered a heart attack in the team hotel
Camp Nou (FC Barcelona)
As per reports from Spanish outlet AS, Minarro suffered a sudden heart attack at the team hotel**,**with ESPN explaining that the Barcelona players only learned of his death when they arrived at the Olympic Stadium for the fixture against Osasuna. Most supporters were already inside the stadium when the decision was taken to call the game off.
At first, there was uncertainty as the players didn't come out to warm up, with an announcement arriving 20 minutes before the game was due to begin that it had been suspended. The 53-year-old had spent all day in and around the travelling squad, and had eaten with the rest of the team within the remaining hours leading up to the game.
Barcelona President Joan Laporta Pays Tribute
"He was a man very much loved by everyone"
FC Barcelona president Joan Laporta
“He was a man very much loved by everyone, who passed away this afternoon at the team hotel,” club president Joan Laporta said on the club’s official website.
“There was an overwhelming sense of sadness because he was loved by all of us. He travelled to every match to take care of the players, the coaching staff, everyone. He never said no to anyone. He was a great professional and a great doctor."
“It has left us devastated and in a sense of shock because it was so sudden," he added: "We got in touch with his mother and his wife to offer our condolences and to support them. Carles leaves behind two children Gerard and Anna."
Minarro, who specialised in sports traumatology, sports medicine and physiotherapy, had been part of the Barcelona staff since 2017, when he started working with the futsal team. At the start of the 2024/25 season, he joined the first-team staff as second in command to head doctor Ricard Pruna.
Before working for the Blaugrana, he had previous roles with CE Sabadell, Terrassa FC and UE Sant Andreu, lower league soccer teams in Catalonia, as well as working at a the Centre d’Alt Rendiment de Sant Cugat, a high performance sports centre.
Real Madrid were among those to offer their respects
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Saturday's hosts Osasuna said in a statement on social media: “Osasuna wishes to convey its deepest condolences to the family of Dr Carles Minarro Garcia and would like to send a warm hug to all the staff of FC Barcelona, as well as to its fans, at this difficult time. May he rest in peace.”
Meanwhile, age-old rivals Real Madrid also posted a statement on their club website. It read: "Real Madrid C. F., its President and Board of Directors are deeply saddened by the death of Carles Minarro García, doctor of F. C. Barcelona.
"Real Madrid would like to express its condolences and affection to all his family, his colleagues, F. C. Barcelona and all his loved ones. May he rest in peace."
Valencia were also among the plethora of other clubs to offer their support for Minarro's family, as the football world came together to support a beloved member of the Barcelona camp.