Barcelona's Spanish league game is postponed after death of team doctor

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Barcelona’s home game against Osasuna in the Spanish league was postponed on Saturday after the death of first-team doctor Carles Miñarro Garcia.

Fans were informed of the decision around 15 minutes before the game was scheduled to kick off at 9 p.m. local time (2000 GMT) in Barcelona at Lluís Companys Olympic Stadium.

Barcelona said in a statement that it was “deeply saddened to announce the passing of first-team doctor Carles Miñarro Garcia this evening” and extended its “heartfelt condolences to his family and friends during this difficult time.”

Barcelona did not immediately provide any details on the cause of death, which local media reports said was due to medical reasons.

“I can’t believe it,” Barcelona defender Ronald Araújo wrote on X. “Rest in peace, Doc.”

The 50-year-old Miñarro Garcia joined the medical staff of Barcelona’s first team last season after having previously worked with its futsal team.

Osasuna said it agreed to the request by Barcelona to postpone the match. The Spanish soccer federation confirmed that the decision was official.

Barcelona club president Joan Laporta said that Miñarro Garcia had died “suddenly” as the team gathered hours before the game. Unconfirmed local media reports said the death occurred at a team hotel.

“The players, staff and coach were all incredibly sad because he was a man loved by everyone,” Laporta said. “We thought it was best to ask for the game to be postponed.”

Laporta thanked Osasuna and La Liga for their understanding.

Barcelona leads the league by one point over Atletico Madrid.

The Osasuna game will be rescheduled.

Alaves held on to upset fifth-placed Villarreal 1-0 despite having two players sent off and an injury scare to goalkeeper Antonio Sivera.

Sivera was one of the Alaves players sent off — in the 58th minute — when he fouled Ayoze Pérez during a one-on-one situation that ended in a frightening collision. Sivera seemed to lose consciousness momentarily when his body went limp on the turf before he recovered and was able to walk off the field.

Alaves also lost Antonio Blanco with a second yellow card during 15 minutes of second-half injury time.

Manu Sánchez scored the game’s only goal in the 11th minute for Alaves' first home win since Nov. 1.

Celta fought back for a 2-1 victory over Leganes to move into eighth place, while Valencia exited the relegation zone after handing last-place Valladolid a 2-1 defeat.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Empty stands and field seen after the cancellation of the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Barcelona and Osasuna, at the Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium, in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, March 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort)

Empty stands and field seen after the cancellation of the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Barcelona and Osasuna, at the Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium, in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, March 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort)

Osasuna's head coach Vicente Moreno, centre, looks on ahead of the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Barcelona and Osasuna at the Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium, in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, March 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort)

The screen with information that the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Barcelona and Osasuna is cancelled, at the Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium, in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, March 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort)

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — Richard “Dick” Codey, a former acting governor of New Jersey and the longest serving legislator in the state's history, died Sunday. He was 79.

Codey’s wife, Mary Jo Codey, confirmed her husband’s death to The Associated Press.

“Gov. Richard J. Codey passed away peacefully this morning at home, surrounded by family, after a brief illness,” Codey's family wrote in a Facebook post on Codey's official page.

"Our family has lost a beloved husband, father and grandfather -- and New Jersey lost a remarkable public servant who touched the lives of all who knew him," the family said.

Known for his feisty, regular-guy persona, Codey was a staunch advocate of mental health awareness and care issues. The Democrat also championed legislation to ban smoking from indoor areas and sought more money for stem cell research.

Codey, the son of a northern New Jersey funeral home owner, entered the state Assembly in 1974 and served there until he was elected to the state Senate in 1982. He served as Senate president from 2002 to 2010.

Codey first served as acting governor for a brief time in 2002, after Christine Todd Whitman’s resignation to join President George W. Bush’s administration. He held the post again for 14 months after Gov. Jim McGreevey resigned in 2004.

At that time, New Jersey law mandated that the Senate president assume the governor’s role if a vacancy occurred, and that person would serve until the next election.

Codey routinely drew strong praise from residents in polls, and he gave serious consideration to seeking the Democratic nomination for governor in 2005. But he ultimately chose not to run when party leaders opted to back wealthy Wall Street executive Jon Corzine, who went on to win the office.

Codey would again become acting governor after Corzine was incapacitated in April 2007 due to serious injuries he suffered in a car accident. He held the post for nearly a month before Corzine resumed his duties.

After leaving the governor’s office, Codey returned to the Senate and also published a memoir that detailed his decades of public service, along with stories about his personal and family life.

“He lived his life with humility, compassion and a deep sense of responsibility to others,” his family wrote. “He made friends as easily with Presidents as he did with strangers in all-night diners.”

Codey and his wife often spoke candidly about her past struggles with postpartum depression, and that led to controversy in early 2005, when a talk radio host jokingly criticized Mary Jo and her mental health on the air.

Codey, who was at the radio station for something else, confronted the host and said he told him that he wished he could “take him outside.” But the host claimed Codey actually threatened to “take him out,” which Codey denied.

His wife told The Associated Press that Codey was willing to support her speaking out about postpartum depression, even if it cost him elected office.

“He was a really, really good guy,” Mary Jo Codey said. “He said, ‘If you want to do it, I don’t care if I get elected again.’”

Jack Brook contributed reporting from New Orleans.

FILE - New Jersey State Sen. and former Democratic Gov. Richard Codey is seen before New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy delivers his State of the State address to a joint session of the Legislature at the statehouse, in Trenton, N.J., Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)