5 assistant managers who went on to become successful managers 

#3 Tito Vilanova

Late Barcelona manager Tito Vilanova

“We want to let you know that if you are strong and willing, we will wait for you as long as we have to because your struggle is our strength,”

said Tito Vilanova to Eric Abida,l who fought cancer during in his initial address as new Barcelona manager.

The philosophy of football played by superior teams is described in a nutshell by the former manager at the club Tito Vilanova, who died in April 2014 aged 45 from throat cancer.

A Barcelona football graduate himself, Vilanova never played for his club Barcelona, although returned as a cadet coach in 2002, training the likes of Lionel Messi and Cesc Fabregas to name a few.

While working in the Barcelona system, Vilanova was an expert on Catalan football as he has worked in every corner of the area with young footballers.

With Pep’s appointment as Barcelona head coach, he required an assistant with a vast knowledge of Catalan football with high morals and Tito Vilanova was the only man for the job.

Working as part of the setup that won every title there is to in world football, Tito Vilanova was then promoted and appointed the manager of Barcelona where he won the La Liga in his first and only season in charge, setting a record tally of 100 points.

A great leader, manager and football man was lost, but Vilanova will be forever remembered as a Catalan great and terrific football manager.