PV: Hello. You went from being the captain of Barca to becoming a sports director, then a player agent and now a football ambassador. Of all those roles, which one do you like best?
Carles Puyol: Each job brings me different experiences and joys. However, the most comfortable role for me is still the role of a player. That is the source of all passion. The 20 years of being with Barca for me was a beautiful youth.
So have you thought about doing something at Barca or with the Spanish national team?
Maybe. But unless it’s a job I really love. I’m a very serious and perfectionist person. So I don’t want to do something forced by someone else. If they want me to do it, they have to be willing to give me a lot of “room to act”.
What made you decide to retire at the age of 36?
When I was young, I played like crazy, and it felt like I would never stop. But then one day, I realized that I was no longer fit enough to play football. When the matches made me feel tired and stressed, I had to stop.
How do you see Barca now?
It is a harmonious team with experienced stars and young talents – players who are performing very well. To be honest, I really enjoy watching Hansi Flick’s Barca play. They play very good attacking football, with great versatility and variety.
How does Barca’s current attacking style compare to tiki-taka?
That is not comparable. Football is different in every era. In the past, the reason Barca could implement the tiki-taka style of play well was because the team was a collective with many players who had trained together for so long that they had a common mind. Not to mention, Barca’s midfield at that time was very strong with outstanding midfielders of Spanish football such as Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Sergio Busquets. Most importantly, Barca at that time had Lionel Messi (laughs).
Are you surprised?
Are you referring to Barca’s recent performances? If so, my answer is that they have performed much better than expected, despite their recent dip. Barca have made a great start to a new project with Hansi Flick. He is clearly the ideal coach for the team at the moment and he is also very fortunate to have some very talented players at his disposal.
What about Xavi, was he treated unfairly?
Xavi is my good brother and a good coach. He has done a lot for Barca in a time when everything was very chaotic. However, at Barca, people demand a lot. What happened to Xavi is extremely regrettable. I have many thoughts to share about this. But that’s it. The club’s leaders have their reasons for changing the coach. We should give them a certain amount of respect.
Let’s talk a little about Cubarsi. He considers you his idol.
He is a very good player. However, his style of play is more like Gerard Pique than me. He is very intelligent, good at improvising, aggressive and very focused. Honestly, when I was his age, I was not as good as him.
Do you have any message for Cubarsi?
It is very strange that even though he is only 17 years old, this kid always maintains a high and stable performance. He rarely makes mistakes. Overall, I am very impressed with Cubarsi. If I have the opportunity to meet him in person, I will give him more advice to help him become more comprehensive and maintain a longer career.
Looking at Lamine Yamal playing football now, do you think of your former teammate Lionel Messi?
Don’t make such lame comparisons. Because that will put pressure on Lamine Yamal. What Lionel Messi has done and is doing is extraordinary. He is unique. It will be very difficult to find a second player in the world as outstanding as him. Lamine is having a dream start to his football career. But he still has a lot to work hard to become the best player in the world.
Maybe he needs to play like Messi and think like Puyol (laughs)…
When I was a player, I always worked very hard to reach the top of my career. I have maintained that effort consistently, from the beginning to the end of the path I have chosen. I am not saying that Lionel Messi is not diligent. But the truth is that if he tries one, it is equal to my trying 10 times.
Thank you for the interview!
