FCBARCELONA.CAT

01.12.2007 12:06

250 league games for the captain

Jesús Carrillo

At the Lluís Companys on Saturday, Carles Puyol will be making his 250th league appearance for FC Barcelona.

Since he made his debut in 1999/2000, Carles Puyol has played 249 league matches in a Barça shirt, and if picked tomorrow, he will have racked up his first quarter of a century.

With all managers

He became a first team regular in 2000/01 under Llorenç Serra Ferrer and has since then has only missed games through injury or suspension. Puyol was a firm favourite of Louis van Gaal, Serra Ferrer, Carles Rexach, Radomir Antic and Frank Rijkaard. In 2004/05 he took over from Luis Enrique as the team’s first choice captain.

Thirteenth derby

Saturday marks Puyol’s 13th Barça v Espanyol derby match. His first was at Montjuïc in 99/00, where he has been involved in three Barça wins, two draws and one defeat.

Four goals

Carles Puyol has scored four league goals. He got two in 2001/02, against Valladolid at the Camp Nou, and a spectacular overhead kicked goal in Tenerife. Puyol did not score again until 2005/06, at home to Real Sociedad. Last year he scored on the final day in Tarragona, against Nàstic.