VilaWeb - Diari escola: Carles Puyol: the great Barça captain

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diumenge, 28 d'abril de 2024

> The soul of the team

> Records

> Barça's Maldini

dimarts, 3 de novembre de 2009

Last Friday, Carles Puyol renewed his contract with FC Barcelona. The 31-year old Barcelona captain has signed for a further three years, until 2013.

With the new contract, it is very likely that Puyol will finish his professional career having only ever worn a Barça shirt. This is very unusual at the club, which has on many occasions seen some of its most legendary players end up playing for other teams.

The signing has put an end to rumours about the near future of the defender. There had been talk in recent months that Puyol could be signed by an Italian or an English club at the end of this season, when his contract was due to end.

The day he signed his contract, Puyol was given another reason to feel satisfied: FIFA had included him on the shortlist of candidates for its World Player of the Year award. The list comprises 23 footballers, including five more from Barça: Thierry Henry, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Andrés Iniesta, Xavi Hernández and Leo Messi, the latter being the favourite to win the award.

The soul of the team

+ Carles Puyol made his first-team debut in 1999.

Born in 1978 in Pobla de Segur (Pallars Jussà), Carles Puyol Saforcada arrived at the Masia (Barça's youth team) for the 1995-1996 season. He made his first-team debut in 1999 under the Dutch coach Louis van Gaal. An all-round defender who can play in the centre or on the right (he has even played as left back), the key characteristics of Puyol's game are a spirit of sacrifice, never giving up on a ball and a determination to overcome obstacles. He is the first to arrive at training sessions and the first to encourage the team when things are not going well.

Records

+ Puyol has lifted the Champions League cup twice.

Puyol is the only captain in the history of FC Barcelona who has lifted the Champions League cup twice: in 2006 and 2009. He has also won, amongst others, three Spanish League titles, one Cup and one European Super Cup. He has played in 453 official fixtures for Barça, behind only Migueli (548) and Xavi (486), who made his first-team debut in 1998. Puyol and Xavi are two of the undisputed linchpins of the current Barça side: if Puyol is the team's soul, Xavi is its 'brain', for his organisational skills and his great vision of the game.

Barça's Maldini

+ Maldini retired earlier this year, after 25 years wearing the black and red shirt of AC Milan.

On an international level, one of the players most admired by Puyol is Paolo Maldini, considered to be one of the best defenders of all time. Maldini retired earlier this year, after 25 years wearing the black and red shirt of AC Milan! An example, therefore, of being faithful to one team's colours, Maldini has won everything with Milan. His list of championships is impressive: seven Italian League titles and five Champions Leagues, amongst many others.

MATERIALS

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Fitxa del FC Barcelona.
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Wikipedia.
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Notícies d'actualitat, trajectòria i palmarès. A Yahoo!

QUE HO SABIES?

The last player to have played his entire career at Barça was Carles 'Charly' Rexach. Rexach played 452 official matches, one fewer than Puyol.
'Puyi', as he is known in the Barça dressing room, began playing football with CF Pobla, his village club.