Puyol: "The dressing room is very upset"

Barcelona captain Carles Puyol has expressed his regrets at the death of the club's ex-manager Francesc 'Tito' Vilanova. The defender paid tribute to his former boss, calling him "a great person, an honourable person, who was an example to all right up to his last day".

Puyol was at the head of the FC Barcelona procession which on Saturday morning went to pay homage to Vilanova at the Camp Nou, where from 9:30 a.m. onwards the gates were open, so that club members and fans could bid farewell by writing in a book of condolences.

"Vilanova fought right up to the end, but... these things happen. It is a very hard blow. Everyone in the dressing room is very upset. We have been with him in his fight against this illness for two and a half years", said Puyol.

"He was an example to all of us. He never gave up and fought right up to the last day. It has been a very tough road and we have tried to help him in every way we could", Puyol went on.

"It is a very tough moment for the whole of the footballing world, for the changing room and for those of us who knew Tito personally. It really is a very hard time. The only thing we can do now is send our full support to all his family and friends", the defender concluded.