Tito Vilanova did not want to leave any loose ends before he died. In his final days he even decided to prepare his own funeral, which he requested be carried out in strict privacy. His wife Montse followed his instructions exactly, even though the club wanted to turn it into a public spectacle. Tito would have rejected that without thinking.

Ivan San Antonio

But it wasn't just his goodbye he arranged, but also the futures of his closest family and friends. Two of them, Jordi Roura and Aureli Altimira, had been with Vilanova since la Masia all the way through to his last breath. They were by his side when he was first team coach because he trusted them blindly.

During the last days of his life, in one of his regular visits to Sandro Rosell, he raised concerns about the future of Roura and Altimira at Barcelona. Tito knew that Tata Martino wouldn't want a second coach and that there would be changes on the bench.

That would also mean big changes on the coaching staff. Ultimately, Vilanova was clear that the two would not continue with the first team. Not just because of the friendship, but also because of his faith in their ability, Tito told Rosell, who was no longer Barça president, that both needed to continue at the club - even if that meant with other responsibilities.

His final proposal was that they both work together in the grassroots of the club. Vilanova, a lover of la Masia, was convinced they were the right men to direct the club's emerging stars.

Rosell took the proposal to Josep Maria Bartomeu. From there, the Barça president facilitated the changes and Guillermo Amor was asked to leave. This wasn't necessarily as a result of the FIFA ban, and probably would have happened anyway.

The club had been planning changes to the cantera long before the FIFA sanction and Tito's suggestion only served to put two names on the table. Those pieces soon fell into place and Tito's wish eventually became a reality.