Personal informationFull name: Carles Puyol i Saforcada
Date of birth: 13 April 1978 (age 33)
Place of birth: La Pobla de Segur, Spain
Height: 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Playing position: Defender
Club information
Current club Barcelona
Number: 5
Youth career:
1993–1995 Pobla de Segur
1995–1997 Barcelona
Senior career*
Years Team Apps† (Gls)†
1997–2000 Barcelona B 89 (6)
1999– Barcelona 350 (7)
National team‡
1995 Spain U18 3 (0)
2000 Spain U21 4 (0)
2000 Spain U23 5 (0)
2000– Spain 94 (3)
2001– Catalonia 5 (0)
Carles Puyol i Saforcada (Catalan pronunciation: [ˈkarɫəs 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 play on either flank, especially as a right back.He also served as a longtime team captain for his only club FC Barcelona after taking over from Luis Enrique in August 2004, going on to appear in more than 500 official games for the team and win 15 major titles, notably five La Liga and three UEFA Champions League championships.
A Spanish international on nearly 100 occasions, Puyol was part of the squads that won the Euro 2008 and the 2010 World Cup tournaments.
International career:
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." Club fans refer to him as "The Wall". 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 ."
Puyol is also known for his leadership and work ethic. He often continues training alone after the end of a team practice session or on days off. 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." He is often described as the heart of the Barcelona team.
Fellow defender Gerard Piqué said: "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." A former team-mate said, "Even four goals down he thinks we can still win", and another described him as "a pain in the arse" but added "that's exactly what we need".
Images:
Carles Puyol
Carles Puyol
Carles Puyol
Carles Puyol
Carles Puyol
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