Barca Liga match postponed after club doctor dies

"Barcelona is sorry to announce the sad news of the death of the first team doctor, Carles Minarro Garcia, this afternoon," said the club in a statement.

"For this reason, the match between Barcelona and Osasuna has been postponed until a later date.

"The board of directors and all the staff at Barcelona wish to convey our most sincere condolences to his family and friends, we are with them at this difficult time."

Fans had begun entering the Olympic stadium for the league leaders' clash against Osasuna, before it was called off around 20 minutes before the expected kick off at 2000 GMT.

"I still can't believe it, a big hug to the family and friends of Carles," wrote Barcelona midfielder Pedri in a post on social media network Instagram.

The doctor, 53, leaves behind a wife and two children, said Barcelona president Joan Laporta.

"This is incredibly painful news for Barcelona, it has left us heartbroken, in shock, because it was so sudden," said Laporta.

"We contacted his mother and his wife, to express our condolences and support them in these incredibly painful moments...

"It is our duty to be there for all of them, his wife, his children, his mother."

The doctor had been working with different Barcelona sides since 2017, and began working with the men's football first team a few months ago.

Osasuna president Luis Sabalza said his team had no objection whatsoever to the match being postponed.

"We understand that life is the most important thing and you can't play a game thinking that the person with whom you've lived with for so long is not there any more," he told DAZN.

Osasuna offered their condolences in a post on social media platform X.

"Osasuna wishes to convey its deepest condolences to the family of doctor Carles Minarro Garcia and would like to send a big hug at this difficult time to all the staff of Barcelona, as well as their fans. May he rest in peace," wrote the club.

On Monday Villarreal's game against Espanyol in La Liga was also postponed because of a heavy rain alert in the region.