体坛英语新闻：Barca face Villareal with Tito Vilanova very much in mind

MADRID, April 26 (Xinhua) -- FC Barcelona have the difficult task of overcoming the death of former coach Tito Vilanova when they face Villarreal on Sunday night.

The 45-year-old Vilanova died on Friday after losing his two and a half year battle against cancer of the parotid gland. The death of the man who led Barca to last season's BBVA Primera Liga title has sent shockwaves through the club and through the football world in general.

Messages of sympathy have arrived from all over the world with nearly all of the Barcelona players making public their feelings for a man who had been a very popular figure in the dressing room.

"I have no words, you were an example and it was an honor to be part of your life," said Andres Iniesta, while young defender Marc Bartra commented the former coach had, "helped me to fulfil my dream. I will always have you in my head and in my heart."

Dani Alves commented that Vilanova had been "a great spirit, a great person and a great person full of dedication and will the fight."

Those players will now have to lift their head up on Sunday and try to dedicate a win to Vilanova in the El Madrigal stadium in order to keep Barcelona's title hopes alive. It won't be easy given that moments such as Vilanova's death serve to show that beyond the sometimes closed world of football, there is much more to life.

Coach Tata Martino, who stepped into the coaching role at Barca last summer, when Vilanova suffered a relapse of the cancer would finally kill him, has to get his players to focus on what is sure to be an emotive game.

The Spanish football league has asked all teams in the league to dedicate a minute's silence for Vilanova: a minute which will be especially emotive for the Barca side, where Bartra is likely to continue in defense alongside Javier Macherano and Pedro Rodriguez to accompany Cesc Fabrigas and Leo Messi, who showed signs of returning to form last week, in attack.

With Gerard Pique, Victor Valdes, Carles Puyol, Jordi Alba and Neymar out through injury, Martino's options are again limited on the playing front, but he will hope that the players who take to the pitch will this Sunday carry with them a special motivation: that of dedicating a win to Tito.