A year ago
'Real Madrid tried to sign me twice':
Puyol reveals reason for staying at Barcelona
Barcelona legend Carles Puyol has revealed that Real Madrid tried to sign him twice. Puyol, who plays as a strong and aggressive central defender, has stayed at Barcelona throughout his career, which began in 1999, and was the team's captain for 15 years.
Had Puyol accepted Real Madrid's offer, his story could have been very different, as he has moved from Barcelona to their arch-rivals, just as Luis Figo did:
"Real Madrid have appointed [Jose Antonio] Camacho as their new coach and they want me and Ronaldinho [in the second approach]," Puyol told TV3.
"They tried to sign me on both occasions, but I was at the best club in the world and I wanted to win titles there. So I stayed."
Puyol has achieved countless achievements during his time with Barcelona, ??including 3 Champions League titles, 6 La Liga titles, 2 Copas del Rey, 2 Club World Cups, 8 Spanish Super Cups and 8 Spanish Super Cups. 3 UEFA Super Cups. He played nearly 600 games in different leagues, scoring 19 goals and providing 13 assists, even playing at times as a full-back.
Puyol's success is not limited to his club career. He also played for Spain and helped them win the 2008 European Championship and 2010 World Cup.
Puyol mentioned that another Barcelona superstar, Ronaldo, is also being pursued by Real Madrid, but he has chosen to stay in Catalonia and become an icon for the club's fans.
Read More
Kepa Arrizabalaga thinks the change of coach and player is the reason why Chelsea FC has struggled this season
Kepa Arrizabalaga believes manager and player changes are the reason why Chelsea FC has struggled this season.
Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga believes numerous coach changes and the addition of several players to the squad have led to the Blues' struggles this season.
The Stamford Bridge team bids farewell to Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter in the current season before appointing Frank Lampard as a caretaker. In the last two transfer windows, the West London team also signed a number of players.
Sharing with the media through the Evening Standard, the Spain international said that the precariousness at Chelsea this season has cost the team dearly. Kepa Arrizabalaga believes manager and player changes are the reason why Chelsea FC has struggled this season.
"There have been three changes of coach, there have been changes to the squad throughout the season and that has cost us dearly."
The lack of planning for the Stamford Bridge team is due to the new owners. In the summer of 2022, they signed players and supported Tuchel. However, they later got rid of him. Later, Todd Boehly gave Graham Potter the green light to take the helm of The Blues. In January, the Blues invested heavily in the workforce again.
The west London club have signed Enzo Fernandez, Joao Felix, Mykhaylo Mudryk and Noni Madueke. However, we had plenty of strikers with Kai Havertz, Hakim Ziyech, Raheem Sterling, Christian Pulisic and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in our ranks.
The former Brighton & Hove Albion head coach has a tough task ahead of him. In the end, the England coach's appointment backfired and the 47-year-old was also sacked.
The arrival of Lampard does not bring us any respite to the new management. The club legend's first two games in charge of Chelsea saw us lose to Wolverhampton Wanderers and Real Madrid.
Kapa is right. The owners' fragmented approach to hiring managers and signing players has clearly led to instability within the team. Hopefully, the Stamford Bridge team will take the time to find the right head coach and arrange the squad in a reasonable way.
Total Comments: 0