Barcelona’s Saturday night match in La Liga vs. Osasuna was officially suspended and postponed for a later date.
Minutes before the scheduled start of the game, Barcelona released a statement announcing first-team doctor, Carles Miñarro Garcia, passed away on the eve of kick-off. Because of this, a decision was taken not to play the matchweek 27 game and postpone it for a yet to be determined date.
“FC Barcelona is deeply saddened to announce the passing of first-team doctor, Carles Miñarro Garcia this evening. For this reason, the match between FC Barcelona and CA Osasuna has been postponed to a later date. The FC Barcelona Board of Directors and entire staff extend our heartfelt condolences to his family and friends during this difficult time,” the full statement said.
Miñarro Garcia joined Barça’s first-team medical staff this season after serving as the doctor for the Catalan’s Futsal team, where he’d been working since 2017.
JOIN SI SOCCER’S BARCELONA WHATSAPP COMMUNITY – GET ALL THE LATEST NEWS AND ANALYSIS STRAIGHT TO YOUR PHONE
According to reports, Barcelona team President Joan Laporta went into the dressing room to notify the players of the news of Miñarro Garcia’s passing. A decision was taken to ask for the suspension of the game, which Osasuna accepted.
Without playing a game this weekend, Barcelona could lose the lead in La Liga if Atlético Madrid defeats Getafe tomorrow. Real Madrid could also go level on points with Barça if they beat Rayo Vallecano. Barcelona, of course, will have a game in hand for the time being.
There’s still no information regarding when the match will be re-scheduled. Barcelona will return to action when they host Benfica in the second-leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie on Tuesday, before visiting Atlético Madrid in La Liga for their final match before the upcoming international break.