Sandro Rosell, President of Barcelona FC has affirmed that Tito Villanova will return to his managerial duties within twenty one days.
The coach has been sidelined since mid-December, following a relapse with parotid gland cancer.
Rosell hopes that the Tito Villanova will be able to cope with his chemotherapy and coaching Barca, but insists that Vilanova’s recovery is the priority over footballing matters.
The club president told reporters in Dubai: “He will return to work in 15 or 20 days, but he will be going back and forth from the hospital and he will be resting.
“He’s going to combine the treatment with his work. The most important thing is his health. For the moment, football comes second.”
Rosell avoided stating that Xavi and Carles Puyol will be given new contracts at Camp Nou, but the chief insisted that he wants the Barca legends to stay with the squad.
“They are among the best players for Barcelona and for Spain, and they are important for society because they are a great example to young people,” he added. “I hope they will remain at the club in some capacity in the future.”
While on the topic of contracts, Rosell also said he believed the fact that two recent signings took pay cuts to join the Blaugrana shows the commitment players have to the Catalan club.
“We have signed two players in Cesc Fabregas and Javier Mascherano who both earn a lower salary than at their previous club,” he said. “They also paid the commission on their transfer fee. They really wanted to play for us. It’s a beautiful thing.”
