30.05.2010 21:59
Barrufet deserved a better farewell
Meritxell Infante / Llorenç Tarrés
David Barrufet has played his last game for the Club. The Barça captain is retiring with 71 trophies to his name with Barça including the seven European Cups won by the Club – a record. Not even the defeat in Kiel can spoil that.
A few days away from his 40th birthday, David Barrufet has been cruelly robbed of the perfect
present to end a great career, despite producing a great performance that very much summed up his
21 seasons in the top flight.
However, it wasn’t enough to overcome Kiel. A true gentleman of the game right up to
the last, David didn’t deserve such a disappointing farewell. But like the great captain he
is, he encouraged his players on until the last moment.
The most successful ever
Barrufet is bowing out with an astonishing 71 trophies won with Barça. His European honours
also include the Cup Winners Cup (2), the Super Cup (5) and the EHF Cup.
He was born in Barcelona on 4th June 1970 and started playing handball at the age of 8. He
signed for Barça when he was 14, learning a great deal from some great goalkeepers such as Lorenzo
Rico, the regular keeper when he broke into the first team. He was named best goalkeeper in the
World by the International Handball Federation in 2000/01 and 2001/02. Today he showed once again
that this recognition was fully deserved.
Present in all the finals
He won the European Cup for the first time at 19 and since then has taken part in all of
Barça’s European finals, including the five consecutive titles of the Dream Team, and also
the last two, when most of his team-mates from that earlier period were no longer at the Club.
So Barrufet has failed to win more European Cups than Dream Team companions Xavi O'Callaghan
and Andrei Xepkin. Oca won the seven with Barça, while Xepkin collected one with Kiel and six with
Barça.
A hero’s farewell
Some 5,674 fans came to the Palau to watch him play his last minutes in the game between
Barça Borges and Naturhouse La Rioja in the ASOBAL. league.
Barrufet announced his retirement last February and qualification for the Final Four gave the
rest of the team the opportunity to give him a very special parting present. At the end of the
game, he brought his team-mates together and told them in front of the cameras: “Next year,
you will win it”.
From tomorrow, David Barrufet, who is a law graduate, will join the Club’s legal
department.
"It was a great game and very competitive. I’m angry about losing but I’m sure my
team-mates will play the Final Four next season and they’ll win it. He also thanked the 500
Barça fans who made the long journey to the Lanxess Arena: "I’m sorry for them and for saying
goodbye without giving them the trophy they deserve”.