Carles Bestit

Carles Bestit Carcasona (8 May 1936 – 9 September 1993) was a Spanish doctor who served as one of the highest authorities in Sports Medicine at an international level in the 1970s and 1980s. He was director of the Berlin Sports Medicine Center, a member of the medical services of the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, the doctor of the Spanish Tennis Federation and the Davis Cup team, and the head of the Medical Services of FC Barcelona for 20 years, from 1972 until he died in 1993.

Early life and education Bestit Carcasona was born in Barcelona on 8 May 1936, as the son of Carles Bestit Martínez, a former football player who had represented, among others, FC Barcelona. His brothers were also athletes, with Josep being a Spanish swimming champion, while Luís was also a doctor, and an international water polo goalkeeper.

Bestit was also a doctor for the Sardà Farriol Foundation to fight diabetes. In August 1972, Barcelona hired him as the head of the club's Medical Services, when Agustí Montal was president and Rinus Michels was the manager.

Despite his discreet nature, Bestit became an institution within the entity, and a renowned name throughout Europe, changing the concept of Sports Medicine in the world of football that had existed until that time, therefore being a pioneer in the field of Sports Medicine. He also made medical diagnoses on the likes of Bernd Schuster in 1985, and both Ronald Koeman and Hristo Stoichkov in 1990.

Bestit was the head of the FC Barcelona medical services for over two decades, from 1972 until he died in 1993, and throughout his 20-year tenure, he maintained numerous international contacts and was professionally required to visit top athletes from other disciplines, which led to his incorporation into the Medical Services of the Spanish Tennis Federation and the Davis Cup team. He founded the magazine Science and Football. His health had progressively declined since he had undergone surgery for lung cancer in July 1991.

Works Medicina y Deporte (1975)