Former Barcelona Legend and Spain Captain Ferran Olivella Passes Away

• Former Spain Captain Ferran Olivella Passes Away at 86
• The legendary defender captained the Spain team that beat the Soviet Union in the 1964 Euro final
• Olivella won two league titles and three European trophies with Barcelona

Ferran Olivella, the captain of Spain's 1964 European Championship-winning side, has died at the age of 86.

The defender spent 13 years at Barcelona, winning the La Liga title in 1959 and 1960, and later became a director for the Club's Players' Foundation and Association.

The Spanish Football Association tweeted:

 'Ferran Olivella Pons, captain of the national team that won the 1964 European Cup, has passed away.

'From @RFEF we want to express our deepest condolences to your family and friends. Rest in peace.'

Barcelona posted:

'FC Barcelona wishes to express its deepest condolences to the family and friends of Ferran Olivella, a former Club player between 1956 and 1969. Rest in peace.'

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A statement by Real Madrid said:

 'Real Madrid C. F., its president and its Board of Directors sincerely regret the passing of Ferran Olivella, a legendary player of F. C. Barcelona and Spanish football.

Real Madrid would like to express its condolences and affection to his family, his teammates, his clubs and all his loved ones.'

Ferran Olivella’s time at Barcelona

Born in Barcelona, he signed for the club's youth team at the age of 17 and after making his first few senior appearances for second-division side Espana Industrial, he was integrated into the first team at the Nou Camp.

During his 13 years stint, Olivella played 509 competitive games for the club and won back-to-back league titles in 1959 and 1960 as reported by Barcelona.

As a player, he was a tremendous defender from a young age, and he played a key role in the FC Barcelona youth side's promotion to the first division during the 1955/56 season.

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He soon became the first choice in his position and went on to captain the Spanish team to the 1964 European Championship title against the USSR. He also served as a director under José Luis Núñez from 1989 to 1993.

He played a role in three Barcelona triumphs in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, which was the forerunner of the UEFA Cup and now the Europa League.

Olivella played 18 times for Spain and was the leader of the side that beat the Soviet Union 2-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid to win the second edition of what was then the European Nations Cup.

He was also selected in Spain's World Cup squad for the 1966 tournament in England but didn't feature as they exited after the group stage.

Olivella served as a Barcelona club director under President Jose Luis Nunez between 1989 and 1993.

His death came on the same day Barcelona wrapped up their first league title since 2019 with a 4-2 win over rivals Espanyol according to Mail Online.

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In the wake of Barcelona's title triumph, Sports Brief reported Barcelona's club president admitting to doing everything within his power to sign former captain Lionel Messi.

Messi, who left for Paris Saint-Germain in 2021, has been linked with a blockbuster return to his old stomping ground - Camp Nou.

Following Barcelona's La Liga triumph, which was the 27th in the club's history, fans of La Blaugrana took to the streets to chant their former star's name, making it clear they want to see the all-time great return to his spiritual home.