Puyol's farewell press conference at Barca: The iron warrior has stopped!

Finally, what the Culés feared has come true. Late yesterday, Vietnam time, the iron warrior at Nou Camp - Carles Puyol - officially said goodbye to Barca and possibly his entire playing career after 15 years of tireless dedication...

Puyol's departure from Barca ends a 15-year association with the club.

THE SORROW OF FAREWELL

Information about Carles Puyol leaving Barca after this season has been circulating for a long time. In early March of this year, the exemplary captain at Nou Camp held a press conference to announce the end of his playing career for the Catalan club. It was a very sad day for the Culés.

But the sadness was even greater yesterday. After much thought, the 36-year-old veteran almost decided to retire from playing. Fans will not only no longer see Puyol playing in a Barca shirt, but also on the professional football pitch.

After announcing his departure from Barca in March, Puyol still intended to continue playing for a while longer at clubs with less pressure. He was contacted by several clubs in the US and Qatar. However, injuries almost certainly prevented Puyol from continuing to play professionally. And he also wanted to dedicate his love and career entirely to Barca.

Despite his strength and toughness on the pitch, Puyol couldn't hide his emotions as he said goodbye to Barca, to football – his life and love of the past nearly 20 years. For him, playing for Barca was a dream come true. “I lived the dream of millions of children around the world,” he said, his voice choked with emotion. “It’s so moving and sad that this will be my last press conference with Barca.”

PUYOL HAS ALMOST GIVEN UP HIS SHOES

Although not officially announced, Puyol's statements suggest he will retire after this season. "I've tried to treat my knee injury, but without success. If I'm luckier, I might be able to continue playing somewhere. But now I just hope to recover so I can participate in normal life activities, not just play football. I can also play other sports like tennis or running," Puyol said.

At his farewell ceremony, Puyol received much praise for his contributions to Barca in particular and Spanish football in general. President Josep Maria Bartomeu did not hesitate to say: "Puyol is the greatest captain in Barca's history." Meanwhile, Lionel Messi also expressed his admiration for his senior teammate: "We will miss him very much. He was great, a true brother in the dressing room."

Puyol was truly a great role model in the world of football, both as a player and as a person, for his loyalty, dedication, and resilience!

PUYOL PROFILE

Full name: Carles Puyol i Saforcada

Date of birth: April 13, 1978

Place of birth: Catalonia, Spain

Height: 1.78m

Playing position: defender

CLUB CAREER

- 1995-1999: Barca youth team (89 matches, 6 goals)

- 1999-2014: Barcelona (593 matches, 24 goals)

NATIONAL TEAM CAREER

- 2000-2014: Spain (100 matches, 3 goals) had no difficulty securing a resounding victory against Jordan.

According to Bongdaplus