Martí Vergés passes away
Martí Vergés Massa, one of the great FC Barcelona players of the 1950s and 1960s, has died at the age of 86.
Born in Vidreres (Girona) on March 8, 1934, Vergés was a skillful, effective attacking midfielder. His partnerships with Enric Gensana and Juanito Segarra enjoyed tremendous success at Barça.
He joined the club at Under-19 level, and was part of the side which won the first Copa de España for the age group, beating SD Sueca 5-1.
He would then play for FC Barceliona's amateur side and Espanya Industrial, helping them to promotion to the top flight in 1956.
When brought into the first team, he swiftly earned a regular starting place. That same year, he was called up to the Spain national team.
438 appearances and 47 goals for Barça
Vergés would retire at the end of the 1965/66 season, at the age of 32. He played a total of 438 games and scored 47 goals for FC Barcelona, winning silverware along the way with the Copa de Fires (1955/58, 1958/60 and 1965/66), LaLiga (1958/59 i 1959/60) and Copa de Espanya (1956/57, 1958/59 and 1962/63).
FC Barcelona paid homage to the one-club-man, alongside Sígfrid Gràcia, at the Camp Nou on October 12, 1966. Vergés would be president of the Barça Former Players Association from 1999-2003, becoming honourary lifetime president thereafter.