Report: Tito Vilanova stable after emergency surgery for cancer relapse

Reports surfaced on Thursday that former Barcelona manager Tito Vilanova was taken to an emergency room for surgery during a routine visit to the hospital.

Vilanova, who was forced to step down from his position as Barca's manager in the summer of 2013 after suffering a relapse of throat cancer, is reportedly dealing with gastric complications as he's attended to at the Chiron Clinic.

The latest update on Vilanova's status brings some positive news. He's apparently in stable condition following the procedure, although it remains unclear how severely his health has deteriorated or how long he'll be forced to stay hospitalized.

After starting out as an assistant to Pep Guardiola in 2008, Vilanova took over as Barcelona's coach ahead of the 2012-13 campaign.