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Carles Puyol i Saforcada (Catalan pronunciation: [ˈkaɾɫes puˈjɔɫ]; born 13 April 1978) is a Spanish footballer who plays for FC Barcelona and the Spanish national team.
Mainly a central defender, he can also appear on either flanks, especially as a right back.[1] He also serves as a longtime team captain for his only club FC Barcelona – which he joined at the age of 17 – after taking over from Luis Enrique in August 2004.
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[edit] Club career
Born in La Pobla de Segur, Province of Lleida, Catalonia, Puyol started playing football for his hometown club, as a goalkeeper. However, after injury problems with his shoulder, he switched to striker. Puyol has said that in his youth, “My parents were sceptical about me becoming a footballer and encouraged me to study.”[2] In 1995, he joined FC Barcelona‘s youth system at La Masia, switching positions again, to play as a defensive midfielder. In 1997, Puyol stepped up to play for the club’s B-team, occupying the position of right back.
In 1999, then-coach Louis van Gaal promoted Puyol to the first team. He made his first division debut on 2 October 1999, at Real Valladolid, in a 2–0 win. After that, he successfully made another reconversion, now to central defender. Puyol was named club captain at the end of the 2003–04 season, after the retirement of Luis Enrique.
During the 2003 off-season, as Barcelona was immersed in a financial crisis, Manchester United showed interest in acquiring Puyol’s services,[3] but no move ever materialized; two years later, the player extended his contract for a further five seasons.[4] He continued to be a defensive cornerstone for Barça, being awarded the “Best European right back” award by UEFA in 2002 and “Best European centre back” in 2005, 2006 and 2008, as well as receiving the “UEFA Club Best Defender” trophy in 2006. Puyol helped the Catalans win an impressive two consecutive league titles in the 2004-2005 and 2005-2006 seasons. In 2005-2006, Puyol helped Barça win its second Champions League title after 14 years.
On 16 September 2008, Puyol made his 400th appearance in all competitions for Barça’s first team in the Champions League match against Sporting Clube de Portugal.[5] In the league season, the Barça captain dealed with some injury problems, but still contributed to the team by appearing in 28 matches helped to win another league title, his only goal coming in El Clásico at Real Madrid on 2 May 2009, which finished with a resounding 6–2 away win;[6] from 2008–10 combined, other than the two league titles, he was essential in conquering the 2009 UEFA Super Cup, the 2009 Champions League and the 2009 FIFA Club World Cup, appearing in nearly 100 official matches. Puyol describes Barça as “the team who every Catalan child wants to play for… I am living the dream playing football for Barça and it is my dream to retire playing here.”[2]
[edit] International career
Puyol won his first Spanish cap on 15 November 2000 against the Netherlands, and remained a regular fixture ever since. He played for the nation at the 2000 Olympics, 2002 FIFA World Cup, UEFA Euro 2004, 2006 World Cup, Euro 2008, 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup and the 2010 World Cup.
At Euro 2008, Puyol started throughout the vast majority of the competition, as the defensive backline only conceded two goals in five games, with an eventual final win against Germany. He was named in the Team of the Tournament alongside defensive partner Carlos Marchena, of Valencia CF.
Puyol started three out of five games at the 2009 Confederations Cup, and captained the team when Iker Casillas was rested for the last group stage match. As Spain finished third, he and three other teammates were named in the Team of the Tournament.
Puyol started all matches and played almost all minutes (substituted by Carlos Marchena in the 84th minute in the round of 16 against Paraguay[7]) at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa: on 7 July, he scored the only goal in the semifinal against Germany with a powerful header from a corner taken by Barcelona teammate Xavi, sending the national team through to their first World Cup final,[8] his third international goal in 89 matches. In the final, he played the full 120 minutes, as Spain defeated the Netherlands 1–0.
On August 1, 2010, Puyol announced that he would continue to play for the national team for at least another two years.[9]
[edit] Playing style
Puyol is known for his intense commitment and ruggedness as a defender. According to Barcelona’s head doctor, Puyol is “the strongest, who has the quickest reactions, and who has the most explosive strength.”[10] Club fans refer to him as “The Wall”.[11] Miguel Ángel Nadal, who played with him for a short period of time, said, “Carles plays with maturity, has great positional sense, and above all, has pride in his shirt.”[10]
Puyol is known for his leadership and work ethic. He often continues training alone after the end of a team practice session or on days off.[12] He said in 2010, “I don’t have Romário‘s technique, [Marc] Overmars‘ pace or [Patrick] Kluivert‘s strength. But I work harder than the others. I’m like the student who is not as clever, but revises for his exams and does OK in the end.”[10] He is often described as the heart of the Barcelona team. Midfielder Xavi said that during matches, “Puyol is always, always talking at us… The message he conveys is one of seriousness but also optimism.”[12] Fellow defender Gerard Piqué added: “He’s someone who, even if you’re winning 3-0 and there’s a few seconds left in the game will shout at the top of his voice at you if he thinks your concentration is going.”[13] Another team member described Puyol as “a pain in the arse” but that “that’s exactly what we need”.[12]
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