Puyol and the second or maternal family name is Saforcada. In this spanish list, the first or paternal surname isand the second base or maternal kin identify is Carles Puyol Saforcada ( catalan pronunciation : [ ˈkaɾles puˈjɔl safoɾˈkaða ] ; born 13 April 1978 ) is a spanish erstwhile master football player who played his stallion career for Barcelona. He chiefly played as a central defender, but he could besides play in either full-back military position, by and large as a right-back. [ 4 ] Praised for his defensive qualities and leadership, he is widely regarded as one of the best defenders and captains in the history of the mutant. [ 5 ] [ 6 ]
Reading: Carles Puyol
He was Barcelona ‘s captain from August 2004 until his retirement in 2014, and appeared in 593 competitive matches for the club. He won 18 major baseball club titles, including six La Liga trophies and three Champions Leagues. Puyol won 100 caps for Spain, and was separate of the squads that won Euro 2008 and the 2010 World Cup. In the 2010 World Cup semi-final, he scored the entirely goal of the plot against Germany. [ 7 ]
Club career [edit ]
Born in La Pobla de Segur, Lleida, Catalonia, [ 8 ] Puyol started playing football for his hometown club as a goalkeeper, but after wound problems with his shoulder he switched to forward. He said that in his young, “ My parents were doubting about me becoming a football player and encouraged me to study. ” [ 9 ] In 1995, he joined FC Barcelona ‘s youth system at La Masia, switching positions again, to play as a defensive midfielder ; two years late, he started playing for the club ‘s B-team, occupying the position of right-back. [ 10 ] In 1998, Barcelona accepted an volunteer from Málaga to sell Puyol, who was behind Frank de Boer and Michael Reiziger in the nag ordain. however, he refused to leave after seeing his best friend Xavi make his first-team debut. [ 11 ] Louis vanguard Gaal promoted Puyol to the first base team the keep up year, and he made his La Liga introduction on 2 October 1999 in a 2–0 away win against Real Valladolid. After that he successfully made another conversion, to central defender. During the 2003 off-season, as Barcelona was immersed in a fiscal crisis, Manchester United showed interest in signing Puyol, [ 12 ] but no move always materialised. Two years late, he extended his contract for a far five seasons. [ 13 ]
Puyol in a 2007 La Liga match against Getafe Puyol was named club captain at the end of 2003–04, after the retirement of Luis Enrique. He continued to be a defensive basis for Barça, being awarded the “ Best european right-back ” prize by UEFA in 2002 ( amongst early person accolades ), and helped the Catalans win two back-to-back league titles. In 2005–06 he appeared in a entire of 52 games, including 12 in that temper ‘s UEFA Champions League which ended in victory against Arsenal, the club ‘s second european Cup. [ 14 ] On 16 September 2008, Puyol made his four-hundredth appearance for Barcelona in a Champions League group degree match against Sporting CP. [ 15 ] In the league season, despite injury problems, he appeared in 28 matches and helped them win another league title. His only goal came against Real Madrid in El Clásico at the Santiago Bernabéu on 2 May 2009 which finished with a resounding 6–2 succeed, [ 16 ] and he celebrated his goal by kissing his catalan flag armband in front man of the cense Madrid fans. [ 17 ] He was all-important to the team besides winning the 2009 Copa del Rey, the 2009 Champions League, the 2009 UEFA Super Cup and the 2009 FIFA Club World Cup to complete an unprecedented sextuple, appearing in closely 100 official matches. [ 9 ] [ 18 ]
Puyol as Barcelona master ( wearing his Catalan armband ) in 2008 On 13 November 2010, Puyol played his five-hundredth game in all competitions for Barcelona in a domestic league equal against Villareal. [ 19 ] He struggled again with injuries during the 2010–11 campaign, [ 20 ] [ 21 ] [ 22 ] but still appeared in 28 matches, again winning the league and the Champions League. He played the concluding six minutes in the Champions League final, a 3–1 victory over Manchester United at the Wembley Stadium. [ 23 ] After the frustration to Inter Milan in the 2009–10 Champions League semi-final, Puyol played in 56 matches for Barcelona without losing, a run that only ended on 11 January 2012 at Osasuna ( 2–3 personnel casualty ). [ 24 ] He besides scored two goals in the season ‘s Copa del Rey, against Real Madrid and Valencia. [ 25 ] [ 26 ] On 2 October 2012, in the belated stages of a Champions League group stage meet at Benfica, his first crippled upon recovering from a knee ligament injury suffered against Getafe, Puyol dislocated his elbow after landing awkwardly in a corner kick challenge. He was initially expected to be sidelined for two months [ 27 ] but amply recovered in one. [ 28 ] On 18 December Barcelona renewed his condense, extending it until 30 June 2016. [ 29 ] In June of the keep up year he again undergo operating room on his right knee, his sixth mathematical process as a professional, [ 30 ] which led to thoughts of early retirement. [ 31 ]
On 2 March 2014, Puyol surpassed Migueli to go second in Barça ‘s all-time league appearances table, behind lone Xavi, and scored the third finish in a 4–1 dwelling succeed against Almería. [ 32 ] Two days by and by, although he still had two more years in his sign, he announced that he would leave Barcelona at the end of the temper. [ 33 ] He said “ After my last two major operations, I find it is taking me a set of effort to reach the grade required here, even more than myself and the surgeons thought necessary. That ‘s the reason I have reached this decision ”. [ 34 ] Barcelona bid farewell to Puyol on 15 May 2014, after a fifteen-year career in the first team ( ten as captain ) that brought him 21 titles. At a pack Auditori 1899, his teammates, ex-teammates, presidents and coaches paid tribute to him, and he said “ I ’ ve lived the dream of thus many young kids, doing what I most enjoy in life, playing football and coach ”. [ 35 ] He announced his retirement curtly after at the age of 36 but stayed with his alone club ; he was immediately appointed director of football Andoni Zubizarreta ‘s assistant. [ 36 ] He resigned in January 2015, soon after Zubizarreta was fired. [ 37 ] In September 2019, Puyol rejected an extend to become Barcelona ‘s sporting conductor. [ 38 ]
International career [edit ]
Puyol won his first cap for Spain on 15 November 2000 against the Netherlands, [ 39 ] and remained a regular repair in the following years. He played for his area at the 2000 Olympics, 2002 World Cup, Euro 2004, [ 40 ] 2006 World Cup, Euro 2008, 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup and the 2010 World Cup. [ 41 ] During the 2002 World Cup, Puyol scored an own finish in the 3–1 win over Paraguay in the group stages. [ 42 ] In the round of 16 tie against Ireland, he assisted Fernando Morientes ; following a 1–1 deadlock after extra-time, his team prevailed following a 3–2 punishment shoot-out victory. [ 43 ] Spain were eliminated in the quarter-finals of the rival by co-hosts South Korea, after a 5–3 shoot-out frustration. [ 44 ] Puyol started every game except one at Euro 2008, and Spain ‘s defense entirely conceded two goals in his five games. They won the final against Germany, and he was named in the Team of the Tournament alongside his defensive partner, Carlos Marchena of Valencia. [ 45 ] He started in three out of five matches at the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup, and acted as master when Iker Casillas was rested for the death group stage fastness ; [ 46 ] they finished third, and he was included in the Team of the Tournament with four of his teammates. [ 47 ] In the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, Puyol started every match and played about every minute ( he was replaced by Marchena in the 84th moment of the quarter-final against Paraguay ). [ 48 ] He scored the lone finish in the semi-final with Germany, a knock-down header from a corner taken by Barcelona teammate Xavi, which sent the national team through to their first World Cup final. [ 49 ] In the final, he featured for the wide 120 minutes as the side defeated the Netherlands 1–0 in extra time. [ 50 ] Spain only conceded two goals throughout the tournament – none of which came in the knock-out stages – besides keeping five clean sheets, a record for a World Cup–winning team, shared with the 2006 Italy side and 1998 ‘s France. He besides completed 88 % of his passes, the third–highest completion rate of any actor in the contest alongside his teammate Sergio Busquets, and was named to the team of the tournament for his performances. [ 51 ] [ 52 ] On 1 August 2010, aged 32, Puyol announced that he would continue to represent the national team for at least another two years. [ 53 ] He missed Spain ‘s victorious Euro 2012 crusade due to a stifle wound sustained in a league game against Espanyol in early May, which required surgery and five to six weeks ‘ convalescence. [ 54 ] The follow year, he was ruled out of the Confederations Cup, once again due to physical problems. [ 55 ] Puyol played his hundredth and concluding international on 6 February 2013, captaining Spain to a 3–1 friendly winnings over Uruguay in Doha, Qatar. [ 56 ] [ 57 ]
dash of play [edit ]
“ Puyol is the winder, not just because he is one of the best defenders in the world but because of his character. He never lets up. ”
— Xavi [ 58 ]
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Puyol is regarded as one of the best defenders and captains of all time. [ 5 ] [ 6 ] chiefly a central defender, he was a versatile player who could besides feature on either flank, largely as a right-back, in particular in the first separate of his career. [ 59 ] [ 60 ] [ 61 ] He besides initially played as a defensive midfielder in his early career, [ 62 ] and had previously even been deployed as goalkeeper and striker in his youth. [ 63 ] [ 64 ] Described as a “ no–nonsense ” musician, [ 62 ] Puyol was known for his commanding presence in the tune despite his minor stature, deoxyadenosine monophosphate well as his ability to read the game, and his acute commitment and hardness as a defender, in particular when challenging for the ball. According to Barcelona ‘s head doctor, he was “ the strongest, who has the quickest reactions, and who has the most explosive potency. ” [ 11 ] [ 60 ] [ 65 ] [ 66 ] In 2006, Simon Talbot of The Guardian described Puyol as : “ Barcelona ‘s very own Captain Caveman, playing football with his kernel on his sleeve and his hair in his eyes, throwing himself about the pitch and launching wholeheartedly into kamikaze tackles like a hyperactive, daredevil kid. ” [ 65 ] Club fans referred to him as “ The Wall ”. [ 67 ] Puyol was besides known for his leadership and sour ethic. He much continued training alone after the end of a team practice session or on days off. [ 58 ] He said in 2010, “ I do n’t have Romário ‘s technique, [ Marc ] Overmars ‘ pace or [ Patrick ] Kluivert ‘s force. But I work harder than the others. I ‘m like the student who is not as cagey, but revises for his exams and does OK in the end. ” [ 11 ] Although his aligning, leadership and ability to organise his refutation were initially cited as weaknesses early on in his career, he worked to improve on these aspects of his game throughout his time with Barcelona. [ 58 ] [ 68 ] indeed, Miguel Ángel Nadal, who played with him for a short period of time, later said, “ Carles plays with adulthood, has great positional sense, and above all, has pride in his shirt. ” [ 11 ] A physical so far honest actor, he was besides known for his anticipation, strength, aggression, decision, discipline, intelligence and concentration as a defender, arsenic well as his man-marking skills and ability to organise his defense ; he besides excelled in one on one situations. [ 62 ] [ 68 ] [ 69 ] [ 70 ] [ 71 ] [ 72 ] [ 73 ] Fellow defender Gerard Piqué said : “ He ‘s person who, even if you ‘re winning 3–0 and there ‘s a few seconds left in the game will shout at the crown of his voice at you if he thinks your concentration is going. ” [ 70 ] A former team-mate said, “ even four goals gloomy he thinks we can still win ”, [ 58 ] and another described him as “ a pain in the arse ” but added “ that ‘s precisely what we need ”. [ 58 ] [ 60 ] [ 74 ] Although Puyol was predominantly known his defensive skills, and albeit not being as talented or naturally gifted as early players who besides came out of Barcelona ‘s youth organization, [ 11 ] [ 60 ] [ 69 ] [ 70 ] he possessed firm technique, and was besides known for his composure on the ball angstrom well as his passing ability, despite tending to favour safe or dim-witted passes rather than riskier ones when playing out from the back. [ 64 ] [ 75 ] [ 76 ] [ 77 ] [ 78 ] As such, throughout his career, he was frequently deployed alongside a ball-playing centre-back such as Piqué ; together, they formed an effective central-defensive partnership, both with Barcelona and Spain, with the erstwhile ‘s physical defend complementing the latter ‘s more elegant play style. [ 70 ] [ 79 ] [ 80 ] [ 81 ] In his youth, Puyol was besides known to be a quick and energetic right-sided defender, who had a preference for getting forward american samoa well as chasing down his opponents ; [ 66 ] [ 69 ] [ 70 ] [ 82 ] however, he lost his footstep with historic period. [ 69 ] [ 83 ] This became peculiarly detectable in his late career, when he was normally deployed in the center, in part due to a series of recurring stifle injuries, which limited his play clock time and affected his physical condition, finally forcing him to retire prematurely. [ 60 ] [ 84 ] [ 85 ] [ 86 ] [ 87 ] [ 88 ] [ 89 ]
personal life [edit ]
Puyol in 2010 Puyol ‘s long shagged hair was a distinctive feature throughout his career. Barcelona director Van Gaal suggested he get it cut when the actor was 19, immediately after his beginning train session with the aged players : “ What ‘s your problem, ca n’t you afford the money for a haircut ? “, Van Gaal asked him in his office. “ I said nothing, ” Puyol remembered, “ and to this day have kept my hair as it is. [ 11 ] [ 90 ] In 2006, Puyol said that when not working, he leads “ a very calm animation … I ‘ve not been to a cabaret in Barcelona for years either. When I go out, I stay in a restaurant with my friends. ” [ 9 ] Puyol ‘s father, Josep, died in a farming accident in late 2006 while Carles was on his way to play a match against Deportivo de La Coruña. He was informed of the news by coach Frank Rijkaard upon landing. [ 91 ] He said that this, combined with an injury led to a dark period, with Spain national team physio Raúl Martínez finally coming to Barcelona : in the player ‘s words, “ … [ he ] gave me a great telling off. He made me react, and I began to try to be more cheerful, and not overwhelmed by it all. ” [ 92 ] In March 2009, Puyol told Goal.com : “ I do not like to go extinct much, although it is thoroughly to disconnect and I like to read. ” [ 93 ] In September 2010, he started a relationship with model Malena Costa. In October of that class, he scored through a header in a 2–1 home succeed against Valencia CF and dedicated the goal to her by making a heart symbol with both hands. “ I dedicate the goal to my girlfriend ”, he said after the game. [ 94 ] In 2011, Puyol paid €30,000 for specialist secret treatment for Miki Roqué, a football player from his home state who was suffering from pelvic cancer. Roqué died in 2012. [ 95 ] Puyol started a relationship with Vanesa Lorenzo in 2012. The copulate had two daughters, Manuela ( digest 2014 ) and María ( 2016 ). [ 96 ] [ 97 ] Puyol was invited by iranian television receiver groove IRIB TV3 to provide comment on the World Cup match between Iran and Spain on 20 June 2018 in a program hosted by Adel Ferdosipour, but was not allowed in the studio apartment. According to news web site Entekhab, the early actor said that he had been told by the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting that he could not appear in the program “ because of his looks ( long hair ) ” ; the seasoned channel director had been replaced by one closer to Iran ‘s ultra-religious hardliners weeks before, and this incident ultimately led to some ridicule within Iran on Twitter. [ 98 ]
career statistics [edit ]
club [edit ]
International [edit ]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team
Year
Apps
Goals
Spain
2000
1
0
2001
4
0
2002
10
1
2003
8
0
2004
10
0
2005
10
0
2006
10
0
2007
5
0
2008
14
1
2009
8
0
2010
14
1
2011
4
0
2012
1
0
2013
1
0
Total
100
3
Honours [edit ]
Barcelona
Spain U23
Spain
Individual
Decorations
See besides [edit ]
References [edit ]
Read more: Real Sociedad