Barcelona's 5 greatest players of all time

Modified Jun 17, 2019 13:51 GMT

Camp Nou, Barca's magnificent home ground

#4 Carles Puyol

Puyol was arguably Barcelona's best defender ever

Carles Puyol was another Barcelona great who played for the club from 1999 to 2014.

He began his career as a right-back but got converted into a centre-back soon enough due to his wonderful reading of the game. He had partners like Rafael Marquez and Gerard Pique at the heart of the defence and went on to win 3 UEFA Champions League and 6 LaLiga titles for the club.

Puyol was excellent man-marker with great tackling skills. He was also very strong in the air and scored quite a few goals from set-pieces.

Puyol was also a genuine big-match player and performed brilliantly in each of the 3 Champions League finals he played in. He neutralized Thierry Henry brilliantly in the 2006 Champions League final against Arsenal.

All in all, the curly-haired defender played 593 matches for Barcelona and scored 18 goals. His importance can be underlined by the simple fact that the club has won only one Champions League title since his retirement in 2014.

About the author

Subhadeep, an adept tennis journalist at Sportskeeda, has been writing about the sport for seven years. He is known for his exclusive match reviews and opinion pieces, utilizing his MBA degree to tackle them effectively with his problem-solving abilities.

Subhadeep lives and breathes tennis. He watches matches regularly and engages in social media platforms to stay on top of the latest happenings. As a writer, he brings the fan's perspective to his pieces, ensuring his readers enjoy an exceptional experience every time.

Growing up, he idolized Boris Becker, but he now firmly believes Novak Djokovic stands alone as the 'Greatest of all Time', especially considering the 24-time Grand Slam champion's incredible stats. One thing that still puzzles Subhadeep, however, is how Becker's Wimbledon tally might have reached five if not for Pete Sampras.

Speaking of the All England Club, the British Major holds a special place in his heart as he admires its blend of tradition and grass-court excellence. When not working for Sportskeeda, Subhadeep delves into the other "love of his life": football, and enjoys contributing his insights to different websites dedicated to the sport.

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Edited by Debjyoti Samanta