Carles Puyol, A One Man Club I FC Barcelona
Carles Puyol carried out his entire professional career at
Barça but his beginnings were with his local side La Pobla de Segur. In his
early years he showed great promise and in 1995 when he was 17 he joined the FC
Barcelona youth system and moved into La Masia. He very quickly became a
regular at the back for Barça B and on 2 October 1999 he made his long awaited
debut for the first team.
From that moment on, Puyol began to make regular appearances
in the first team squad, often initially starting at right back. Thanks to his
versatility and his appetite for hard work, he also adapted to playing at
centre half, the position in which he would eventually establish himself both
at Barça and in the national side.
Puyol had to wait until the season 2004/05 to win his first
major trophy with the balugranes. He was the club captain and a key member of
Frank Rijkaard’s side that claimed the league title that season, Puyol holding
aloft the trophy in front of the Camp Nou crowd. Success continued as the
following season with Barça retaining their league title and claiming the
Champions League title in Paris.
During Josep Guardiola’s time as coach Puyol
continued to play a vital role in the Barça back four before injury finally
caught up with him in his final two campaigns as a player. When he finally
decided to hang up his boots, only Xavi Hernández had played more games for the
Club in official competition.
Aside from trophies and individual accolade, Carles Puyol’s
career will also be remembered for iconic gestures. Two in particular stand out
in the memory: kissing the captain’s armband during the historic 6-2 victory in
2009 at the Santiago Bernabéu and allowing Éric Abidal to lift up the Champions
League trophy in 2011 at Wembley.
CAREER
Seasons at the club: 1999-2014
Games: 663
Goals: 20
HONOURS
2 World Club Cups (2009/10 and 2011/12)
3 Champions League (2005/06, 2008/09 and 2010/11)
2 European Super Cups (2009/10 and 2011/12)
6 League trophies (2004/05, 2005/06, 2008/09, 2009/10,
2010/11 and 2012/13)
2 Spanish Cups (2008/09 and 2011/12)
6 Spanish Super Cups
(2005/06, 2006/07, 2009/10, 2010/11, 2011/12 and 2013/14)
6 Catalan Cups
(1999/2000, 2003/04, 2004/05, 2006/07, 2012/13 and 2013/14)
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