[3][4] José Vidal-Ribas was born in Barcelona on 27 February 1888, into a family of merchants and businessmen of the Catalan bourgeoisie, which was started by his grandfather José Vidal-Ribas, who made a fortune thanks to the African slave trade business in North America and Cuba, so much so that in 1868, he became the ninth largest taxpayer in Barcelona, leaving an inheritance of several properties spread throughout the city,[5] including a small Neoclassical palace on Passeig de Gràcia known as Casa Vidal Ribas.
[7] When Francisco Franco's troops entered Barcelona in 1939, Vidal-Ribas was appointed president of the board of directors of the Caja de Pensiones, assuming all of its executive functions.
[2] As such, he was the captain of the Spain Davis Cup team in the quarterfinals of the 1926 International Lawn Tennis Challenge against Argentina in Barcelona, which ended in a 3–1 victory.
Two years later, Piñeyro submitted his resignation to the Catalan Football Federation, which was approved on 10 July 1942, being succeeded by Vidal-Ribas, who took charge of an interim committee that ran the club for just a little over a month, until 13 August, when Piñeyro was forced to return after being ratified in office by the Spanish Federation, which did not approve his resignation.
[4] On 5 October 1953, following the resignation of Enric Martí Carreto due to the controversial di Stéfano case, the Catalan Federation appointed a management committee, made up of the ten living former presidents of the club, including Vidal-Ribas, who led the club for two months, until December, during which time he signed the act of resignation of the rights that Barça had over Argentine Alfredo Di Stéfano, who ended up joining rivals Real Madrid.