Barcelona fire equipment manager Txema Corbella after 32 years of service

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Long-serving equipment manager for Barcelona, Txema Corbella has been fired after 32-years of loyalty.

If there was something that hasn’t changed in the Camp Nou over these past three decades, it had to be the presence of Txema Corbella in the Barcelona management team. However, thirty years later now, Corbella, who has been functioning as Barcelona’s first team equipment manager since he took office in 1983, has been disposed off his current role.

According to Mundo Deportivo, Corbella was dismissed after he had arrived at the club following a holiday, a week before the start of Barcelona’s training camp, and the club has declined to disclose the cause behind the sacking,

Barcelona sporting director Andoni Zubizarreta has, however, announced that it was a “club decision”, and that Barcelona will be offering 62-year-old Corbella a new position at the club, leaving out roles available for the first team. A proposal for benefits has also been offered if Corbella has to take early retirement.

Corbella is one of the most popular faces at the Catalan Club, having arrived at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper, earning the love and affection of the players, coaches and fans throughout these years. Even though the reasons behind his dismissal is unclear, it is being speculated that it has a lot to do with the arrival of new head coach Luis Enrique who had signed a two-year contract in May following the termination of former coach Gerardo Martino.

In an interview last season, former Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdes had highlighted on the influence Corbella had inside the dressing room. He told Marca, "The last person who tried to convince me to stay was Chema Corbella, who is like a father to me and has always protected me. At a dinner, he said, 'You'll never be better off than you are here'. And he's right. We started crying, and went on crying. We're both very sentimental."

The decision has been met with scepticism from supporters since Corbella has a loyal, long-serving member of the club, sharing the dressing room with players from Diego Maradona to Lionel Messi, and a sudden sacking of this sort brings a bad name to the club’s management team.

Unhappy fans ranting all over Twitter

I want to remind all of you, this Barca board has sacked more than 400 employees in last 4 years. Much of them without any reason.

— Barça (@semprebarcaa) July 7, 2014

Working at Barcelona for 32 years, Txema Corbella was the club's kitman. Today, his return after vacations, he left the club. [1/5]

— Rafael Hernández (@RafaelH117) July 7, 2014

Another disgraceful action by the current Barcelona board. Read this. pic.twitter.com/bVGdoju7fP

— BarçaRelated (@SocialBarca_10) July 7, 2014