Using the Barcelona badge as a shield, Puyol repels the shot with this chest and falls back like he's taken a bullet, keeping the scores level.
Cue epic orchestral war music. Frank de Boer scored 10 minutes later to win the game for the home side. Salt on an ulcer, stubbing your toe and watching an episode of Gemma Collins: Diva Forever are amongst the most painful experiences a human being can suffer.
But you'd opt for all of the above over a Roberto Carlos thunderbastard to the chops or the knackers. But being the maniac that he is, Puyol willingly put his face in the way of a goalbound shot from Mr Thunder Thighs himself. Carlos whacks the ball at the open goal, only for Puyol to make a diving block with his face.
Thankfully Barcelona's lead and Puyol's face both stayed intact. There's a time and place for having a laugh and a frolic and celebrating the demolition of Rayo Vallecano is not one of them. After Thiago scores the fifth in Barcelona's seven-goal rout of Los Franjirrojos in he runs over to Dani Alves to start a choreographed dance celebration.
Given Rayo were fighting relegation, Real Madrid had won La Liga, Barcelona had exited the Champions League and Pep Guardiola had just announced his departure, their celebrations were a little ill-timed.
Unimpressed Puyol broke up their routine and sent them back to the centre circle. Well-played Carles! The Spain defender clutches his elbow as if he's been struck by something a lot larger than a plastic lighter. Grimacing, he makes his way over to the referee, ready to complain. Just as he cut out through balls, Puyol senses the danger and intercepts Pique's attempted whinge, grabs the lighter and throws it off the pitch, encouraging his teammate to focus on the impending corner.
There's no place for play-acting in Puyol's world. Usually, a gust of wind is enough to send the modern-day footballer crashing to the floor, holding their face, rolling around like they've been cracked by Anthony Joshua. So, in , it was a nice surprise in to see Barcelona's Captain Caveman brush off a slap across the chops from Mallorca defender Sergio Ballesteros. Ronaldinho wasn't willing to be so tolerant. Incensed, he charges over to take retribution.
But instead of letting Ballesteros get his just deserts, Puyol pushes the Brazilian superstar away and protects his attacker to help extinguish the situation.
Now that's what we call sportsmanship. Puyol was a loyal servant of the Barcelona cause. A home-town hero, adored by teammates and fans. His commitment could never be questioned. Some prefer to yell out orders and command their troops, whilst others choose to let their performances do the talking. A few like to make their dominance known on the field, yet some like to do their leading in the secrecy of the dressing room. Somehow, Carles Puyol seemed to tick every single box. Lifting the first of his three Champions League trophies as captain — Carles Puyol is historic.
Despite being one of the roughest and ruthless defenders around, he was eternally the most disciplined on the field. The infamous incident at the Bernabeu in is one that will continue to define Puyol for years to come.
As the tall defender was making his way to the referee to express his displeasure, the Captain stood in his path. Without a second thought, he took the lighter and flung it off the pitch. He then ordered his defensive partner to stop complaining and focus on the impending corner. I remember the day he came back [after the injury].
He never stops. One time, the game was stopped, someone was on the stretcher, and he was shouting at me. I know you. Puyol keeps you on your toes at all times. Similarly, one fondly turns the clock back to when Puyol was relatively new to his captaincy duties. Nevertheless, In a world of football dominated by play-acting, one would expect a player to go down and demand a red card for the offender.
Moreover, when Ronaldinho made an effort to confront Ballesteros, Puyol stopped him from doing so. Once again, he reminded everyone that the primary goal of everyone on the field was the game of football. The captain ensured complete concentration from every player, irrespective of the situation in the game. The team played with the same focus, whether seven goals up or chasing four goals.
Carles Puyol was a fantastic sportsman, but moreover a gentleman of the highest order. In , the Catalans were steamrolling a helpless Rayo Vallecano. They had already put 4 past their rivals when Thiago scored another one against the relegation-threatened side. As the young midfielder rushed towards Dani Alves to celebrate the goal, Puyol made it clear that it was not the time for a celebration. After a short stern telling off, the captain sent the duo back to their positions for the restart.
A captain is only a captain if his troops agree to listen to him. Clearly, Puyol had a certain aura around him. One with which he could hardly attract any haters. When he spoke, everyone stayed silent irrespective of seniority. Yet, it was not just his personality that gained him the respect of fans and players alike.
The World Cup winner fought like a lion. One could never question his commitment on the field. The Spaniard was a nightmare to opposition strikers, an enigma that just cannot be understood.
Puyol was never a tailor-made Barcelona centre-back. Sure, he was quick and could carry the ball courtesy of his past as a fullback, but his passing was less than exemplary. The unmatched fervour, though, helped him cement his place in the world of football.
Something the Blaugrana defence has never seen since. There were tiny moments of doubt when the Spaniard was screening the goalkeeper. A shot to the face, a tackle to the shin, a header to the teeth, Puyol faced it all, but got up, wiped the sweat off his face, and continued stronger than ever.
He also formed an unlikely partnership with Gerard Pique — a duo which was called off very early in their time together. An unlikely partnership that worked for half a decade. He was the kind of footballer who would never give up — he would chase you to the gates of hell to win back the possession before spraying it forwards, or rouletting his way out of trouble. Examples of these are the several times he would get humiliated — mostly during the twilight of his career — by quick forwards, a certain Angel di Maria in particular.
However, what those clips on the internet do not show is how quickly Puyol was up on his feet and winning the turnover. A certain night against Lokomotiv Moskow in comes to mind, which echoes the quote louder than ever.
Tracking back, Puyol was up against James Obiorah, who had found his way around Victor Valdes in front of an open goal. His route to goal was gem-laid, and little to nothing could stop the Russian outfit from taking the lead. In a race against his own capabilities, Puyol reached the six-yard box in time, taking the shot to the chest.
Above everything, Carles Puyol was one of the most selfless players to have ever graced the game. A true gentleman in every sense of the word. One reminisces the night at Wembley in The world rejoiced, the players were ecstatic, the celebration around created an atmosphere like no other. Barcelona had schooled a Manchester United side to taste European glory again. Puyol is famous for his strength and quick reactions as a defender. The club knows about this and we agreed on the matter and how it should be dealt with.
We shall rescind my contract and leave it without effect for the two years that were left on it. Much more than I thought and much more than the surgeons told me. This site uses cookies By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies.
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