Tragic Loss for Barcelona
Barcelona’s La Liga match against Osasuna was postponed on Saturday following the sudden passing of first-team doctor Carles Minarro Garcia. The club announced the heartbreaking news just minutes before the scheduled kickoff at 2000 GMT.
“Barcelona is deeply saddened to share the tragic news of Dr. Carles Minarro Garcia’s passing this afternoon,” the club stated. “Due to this unfortunate event, our match against Osasuna has been postponed to a later date.”
Dr. Minarro Garcia, 53, had been part of Barcelona’s medical team since 2017 and had recently started working with the first team. He is survived by his wife and two children.
Shock and Grief at Barcelona
Barcelona president Joan Laporta expressed the club’s sorrow, calling the loss “incredibly painful” and “heartbreaking.”
“We are in shock because it was so sudden,” Laporta said. “We have reached out to his family to offer our support in this extremely difficult moment.”
Midfielder Pedri also shared his disbelief, posting on Instagram: “I still can’t believe it. A big hug to his family and friends.”
Osasuna Supports the Decision
As fans were already entering the Olympic Stadium for the game, the match was called off about 20 minutes before kickoff. Osasuna’s president, Luis Sabalza, fully backed the decision to postpone.
“We understand that life is the most important thing,” Sabalza told DAZN. “You can’t play a game knowing that someone you’ve worked closely with is no longer there.”
Osasuna also shared their condolences on social media, sending support to Dr. Minarro Garcia’s family, Barcelona’s staff, and their fans.
Another La Liga Match Postponed
Earlier in the week, Villarreal’s match against Espanyol was also postponed due to heavy rain alerts in the region.
Barcelona’s rescheduled match date against Osasuna is yet to be confirmed.
