Unzue suffers ALS: "I feel privileged because of everything life has given me"

Unzue suffers ALS: "I feel privileged because of everything life has given me"

BeSoccer 5 years ago |

Reading time: minutes

Juan Carlos Unsue has ALS. GironaFC

The former footballer and coach Juan Carlos Unzue has ALS. It is motor neurone disease and it led to the famous ice bucket challenge to raise awareness. It was an open secret before the 53 year-old coach announced it officially at the Camp Nou.

Spanish football has been shaken by the news that Unzue, the former Girona coach has ALS, a disease which attacks the nervous system and has no cure.

Juan Carlos Unzue used to be the goalkeeper for clubs likw Osasuna, Barcelona and Sevilla suffers from ALS. It is a terrible disease which attacks the CNS and leads to you becoming paralysed.

Unzue has announced it officially in a press conference at the Camp Nou. He is promising to fight until the end.

He retired from football in 2003 at Osasuna before making becoming a coach. He was the goalkeeping coach at Rijkaard's Barca and then at Guardiola in 2010, he became the Numancia coach.

He became the goalkeeping coach before becoming Luis Enrique's number two at Celta and then Barca where he won the treble. He then led Celta to a 13th place finish in 2017.

His latest adventure, up to now, was at Girona last season. That was not so good: he ended up being sacked after just 12 games because the board wanted the club back in La Liga and the Catalans were in 11th.

June 18, 2020

"I can assure that I'm doing well. I'm strong mentally to live with this difficult illness. I feel I'm privileged because of what has given me up to now," Unzue said in his press conference.

He said he was committed to raise awareness of the disease and to hope people who suffer this have a better quality of life.

He also said that his time on the bench is over. He will now focus on fighting against the disease.

The signs of encouragement and affection towards the coach have occurred since this morning. "He's a great friend. I've bee shocked by the news when I found out this morning. I wanted to transmit my solidarity and my best wishes for all his family, his wife Maria and his children," Lopetegui said.

"Juan Carlos is a good friend from childhood. But as he is a fighter I'm convinced that he will get through this becauxse of that positivity and happiness he has always shown," the current Sevilla coach added.