25 years since Carles Puyol's debut
Today marks a quarter of a century since Carles Puyol played the first of his 663 games for FC Barcelona. On 17 June 1997, the L’Hospitalet stadium was the venue for the Copa Catalunya final against CE Europa.
Bobby Robson sent the defender on in the 75th minute as a replacement for Molist, moments after the lower league side had taken an unexpected lead.
Despite players like Laurent Blanc, Guillermo Amor and Emmanuel Amunike being in the side, Barça lost that game 3-1, but it will always be remembered for being the first senior appearance for Carles Puyol.
Official debut in Valladolid, 1999
It would not be until two years later that Louis Van Gaal handed him his first competitive game, against Valladolid in 1999.
Puyol would go on to play for 15 seasons, featuring in 593 competitive games and 70 friendlies, becoming one of the club’s most iconic players of all time.
A fabulous captain, thoroughly committed, Puyol was a tough, honest no-nonsense player and a wonderful ambassador for the club both on and off the pitch.
Triple European champion
He captained the team to three Champions League titles, although he only lifted the trophy in Paris 2006 and Rome 2009. After w third victory, this time at Wembley, he handed the honour to Éric Abidal, in recognition of the Frenchman’s spectacular recovery from a tumour in time to appear in that game. That’s the kind of honourable person that Puyol has always been.
Puyol won 21 different titles at the only club he ever played for Barça, and will always be regarded as one of the most popular players ever to don the blaugrana jersey, and one of the greatest defenders ever to grace the game.