Josep Lluís Vilaseca

Josep Lluís Vilaseca was regarded as the “Father of Catalan sports” in a life dedicated to sport. A lawyer by profession, Vilaseca was also an arbitrator and politician.

Between 1969-77, Vilaseca was a member of the board of directors of Barcelona FC and was also a member of the UEFA Control and Disciplinary Committee. In 1980 he became the first general secretary of Catalan Sports, a post he held until 1995. In that role, he played an important part in modernising Catalan sporting institutions and raising the standards of sporting excellence in the community. Vilaseca also became president of both the Spanish Olympic Committee and Spanish Court of Sport Arbitration. He was a key member on the organising committee for the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, particularly with his close connections with local councillors and officials.

Vilaseca received the Olympic Order (silver) in 1985, and in 2018 received the Samaranch Award for his services to Spanish sport at a ceremony attended by the former Olympic president’s daughter, María Teresa Samaranch. Other significant awards received by Vilaseca were the UEFA Order of Merit and Creu de Sant Jordi (St. George’s Cross), one of the highest Catalonian awards.

As a politician, Vilaseca was responsible for the foundation of the Democratic Convergence of Catalonia Party in 1974 and, following the autonomous elections of 1995, he was elected to the Catalonian parliament.