Catalan based newspaper Sport reported that ex-vice president of FC Barcelona, Joan Casals, died yesterday morning at the age of 67, after struggling with illness for a while. He was appointed as a vice president after the first meeting of the club’s board of directors, chaired then by Josep Lluís Núñez. He was known in the club as a dedicated supporter, as well as a generous and an honest man.

He was born in Barcelona on August 14, 1942, and would have turned 68 today. Casals was a candidate for the presidency elections of May 6, 1978 using the mottos “For a new club” and “Man of 79, 191 solutions (all the club members)”. However, a few days before the elections, he joined Núñez by “matching programs”.

Casals, who owned a travel agency, held the vice presidency position, which specifically dealt with public relations, as he always spoke of “human relations”.

Nevertheless, upon certain problems with president Núñez, Casals left after two years of occupying the vice presidency position. He returned to the forefront in the 1989 elections but couldn’t collect the necessary signatures to become a candidate of the elections; thus he left the final fight between Núñez and Sixte Cambra. He then left the club to dedicate himself to his business but never ceased to follow the steps of FC Barcelona as he always showed great devotion.

Today, at 11:00 am, the funeral was to be held in the Parish of Lloret de Mar.

Rest in Peace Joan Casals.