Barcelona’s La Liga match suspended after club doctor dies
Postponement decided shortly before the scheduled start time of the match against Osasuna
Barcelona’s La Liga game against Osasuna on Saturday has been suspended following the death of the Catalan club’s doctor Carles Miñarro García, aged 53*. The decision to postpone the match was made with around 15 minutes to go before kick-off, scheduled.
According to the Catalan newspaper “Mundo Deportivo”, Carles García suffered a heart attack on Saturday afternoon at the hotel where the Barcelona team was staying. He started working at the club in 2017 and was the head of the club’s futsal team until joining the professional team this season. The doctor leaves behind two children.
Barcelona are the leaders of La Liga with 57 points. The two title contenders will take to the field this Sunday for the 27th round. Atlético de Madrid, with 56 points, will play Getafe away from home, and Real Madrid, third with 54, will host Rayo Vallecano.
According to “Mundo Deportivo”, the Barcelona squad was in the dressing room when they were informed of Carles García’s death by club president Joan Laporta. The team leaders then requested the postponement of the match. The fans present were informed via the stadium’s big screen about the reason for the suspension of the game.
In an interview with “DAZN” cited by the Spanish newspaper “Sport”, Osasuna president Luis Sabalza immediately agreed that there were no conditions for the match to take place.
– We all agreed with the suspension. No one can play a match knowing that a person they lived with permanently is no longer among us – he said.
In a statement published on social media, Osasuna lamented the death and expressed solidarity with Barcelona and the family of Carles García.
Other Spanish clubs also took to social media to mourn the passing of Barcelona’s doctor, as did LaLiga and the Royal Spanish Football Federation.
