Thread by @FCBarcelona

What do Cruyff, Maradona, Ronaldinho and Messi have in common?

They all led Barça in different periods and although 45 years split the first from the last, they all coincided with a very special person: Montse Tomàs.

This is her story...
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On 4 February 1974, when just 19 years old, Montse wandered a little lost into the FC Barcelona offices to join the Football Department.

After 45 years of service to the club, Montse is retiring.

But how did she start out at Barça?

Montse joined the club to replace Paco Rodríguez (who retired in 2018 after 50 years at the club) while he was on military service, compulsory in those days. Her first job was in administration of youth football.

It was a very different club back then, with just 50 or so employees, and Montse coincided with FC Barcelona’s first ever female employee, Trinidad Turmo, who had been telephone receptionist since 1960.

Montse’s first year was not an ordinary one. In 1974, Cruyff arrived, the team won 5-0 at the Bernabéu and won La Liga for the first time in 14 years.

Montse would only witness 2 Liga titles in her first 15 years at the club...

Her good work for youth football earned Montse promotion to the first team, where she would even help Diego Armando Maradona to find a house in Barcelona and play an important role in drafting his contract.

Montse’s roles included registering players for different competitions, dealing with passports, visas and transport, and other such match day logistics for the team, and always with the utmost discretion.

Her good English and relations with different club members earned her further promotions.

In what other areas did Montse work?

Montse moved between different departments, such as Management, Press and PR, and also worked closely with the basketball, handball and rink hockey sections before returning to the senior football team.

It was 2003 and the club had just signed Ronaldinho.

Back with the football first team, Montse got a close-up view of the greatest years in Barça history, with 41 trophies won since 2003. She was there to see all the success under Ronaldinho, Guardiola, Messi and co.

But now it’s time for her to hang up her boots. On occasion of her retirement, the FC Barcelona staff gave Montse a fitting send-off, thanking her for her professionalism and dedication to the club for 45 years.
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