Ferran Olivella, one of FC Barcelona’s most outstanding footballers, a benchmark for the various defenses in which he served, has died at the age of 86. The defender started out as a youth player at Poble Sec before joining Barça. Olivella played for Barça for 13 seasons from 1956 to 1969, retiring in 1969 after the Barcelona side lost the Cup Winners’ Cup final to Slovan Bratislava.
FC Barcelona would like to offer its deepest condolences to the family and friends of Ferran Olivella, a former club player between 1956 and 1969. Rest in peace. pic.twitter.com/szsDrVQOMs
– FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona_es) May 14, 2023
A serious and responsible player, Olivella’s resume includes promotion to the top flight in 1956 with Barcelona’s subsidiary Barcelona, as well as winning four cups, three fair cups and two leagues after 513 games meaning he was eighth is the player who has worn the Barcelona jacket the most times.
The Barça defender captained the Spanish side that won the 1964 European Cup against the USSR. Olivella was also among the players who offered to speak to then-Barça president Miró-Sans due to the company’s difficult economic situation due to the construction of the Camp Nou. After the end of his playing career, he remained closely associated with FC Barcelona as a member of the players’ association or even as a former manager during Josep Lluís Núñez’s reign from 1989 to 1993.
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