Updated 20:25

BARCELONA COACH TITO Vilanova has resigned this evening having suffered a relapse of his throat cancer.

Pep Guardiola’s former assistant was originally diagnosed with parotid gland cancer in 2011 and spent some of last term in a New York hospital, overlooking training sessions using Skype at times to guide Barca to the La Liga title.

Club president Sandro Rosell and director of football Andoni Zubizarreta called the unscheduled press conference this evening with Rosell saying:

“We inform you that Tito Vilanova needs further treatment which makes it impossible for him to continue as head coach.

“This is a very difficult blow to the club, but we have overcome many difficult setbacks.”

“The coach has recently undergone tests which confirmed the bad news,” the online edition of Catalan sports daily Mundo Deportivo reported today.

With the new football season fast approaching, Barcelona have the unenviable yet necessary task of finding a replacement head coach. That decision, Rosell says, is not far away.

“We will most likely announce the name of the next FC Barcelona manager early next week.”

Tottenham Hotspur coach Andre Villas-Boas has already been installed as the favourite to take over at the Catalan heavyweights.

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Originally published 17.50