Barca v Osasuna postponed after club doctor Carles Minarro Garcia dies
The match, scheduled to kick off at 2000 GMT at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys in Barcelona, was postponed just 20 minutes before the start as fans were already entering the stadium.
Barcelona's La Liga match against Osasuna was called off on 8 March after the sudden death of the club's first-team doctor, Carles Minarro Garcia.
The match, scheduled to kick off at 2000 GMT at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys in Barcelona, was postponed just 20 minutes before the start as fans were already entering the stadium.
"Barcelona is sorry to announce the sad news of the death of the first-team doctor, Carles Minarro Garcia, this afternoon," said the club in a statement. "For this reason, the match between Barcelona and Osasuna has been postponed until a later date."
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The club expressed their condolences: "The board of directors and all the staff at Barcelona wish to convey our most sincere condolences to his family and friends. We are with them at this difficult time."
Barcelona president Joan Laporta described the news as "incredibly painful," adding that the club was "heartbroken, in shock, because it was so sudden."
"We contacted his mother and his wife to express our condolences and support them in these incredibly painful moments," said Laporta. "It is our duty to be there for all of them, his wife, his children, his mother."
Minarro, 53, had been with Barcelona since 2017 and had recently begun working with the men's first team. He is survived by his wife and two children.
Osasuna president Luis Sabalza fully supported the decision to postpone the match, saying: "We understand that life is the most important thing and you can't play a game thinking that the person with whom you've lived with for so long is not there any more."
Osasuna also offered their condolences on social media: "Osasuna wishes to convey its deepest condolences to the family of doctor Carles Minarro Garcia and would like to send a big hug at this difficult time to all the staff of Barcelona, as well as their fans. May he rest in peace."
Earlier in the week, Villarreal's La Liga match against Espanyol was also postponed due to heavy rain alerts in the region.
