Former Barca president, Josep Lluís Núñez (87), has passed away this Monday 3rd December. The real estate builder and developer, remains the longest serving president in Barça's history.
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Born in Baracaldo (Vizcaya) on the 7th September 1931, Nunez helped Barcelona win 14 titles during his 22-year reign. He passed away this Monday after a long battle with illness.
Josep Lluís Núñez arrived at FC Barcelona in May 1978 in what were the first democratic elections for control of the club. Núñez beat Ferran Ariño and Nicolau Casaus for the role. His slogan was 'Per un Barça triomfant' ('For a triumphant Barça'). From that day until he stepped down as president 22 years later, Josep Lluís Núñez became the longest serving president in Barça's history. He won in the 1989 elections against Sixte Cambra and in 1997 against Àngel Fernández.
During this time Núñez and his Barcelona won a total of 140 trophies across all of their teams, 27 of which were for the senior football side. The standout trophy being the European Cup which they won with Johan Cruyff as head coach. His first title was the European Cup Winners' Cup victory in Basel during the 1978-79 season.
Under Cruyff, the golden period of Barcelonismo in the Núñez era was the 'Dream Team' which also won four consecutive LaLiga titles, another Cup Winners Cup and a Copa del Rey. Before that, with Terry Venables in charge, they'd won their first LaLiga title in 1984-85. Following Cruyff's spell in charge Barcelona won the Spanish Super Cup under Bobby Robson, the Copa del Rey and their fourth European Cup Winners' Cup. And finally under Van Gaal the team won two more league titles in 1997-98 and 1998-99.
His star signings were Schuster, Ronaldo, Maradona, Laudrup, Koeman, Romario, Rivaldo and Stoichkov.
Under his leadership Barcelona become the team with the most club members, rising from 78,000 to 106,000, and also increased the capacity and remodelled the Camp Nou. To his credit he also strengthened the relationship between Barça and its supporters clubs, alongside the also departed Nicolau Casaus, built the Miniestadi and the Palau Blaugrana.
In 2000, Núñez left his post as president of Barcelona despite still having the backing from the vast majority of Barcelona supporters.
