"It's time to tell our story" - Barcelona legend Carles Puyol's response to Iker Casillas announcing he's gay confuses fans on social media 

Former Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas announced on Twitter that he is gay earlier today, which surprised many. However, more shocking was former Barcelona centre-back Carles Puyol's response to his old rival's declaration.

Casillas tweeted:

"I hope you respect me: I'm gay."

To which, Puyol replied:

"It's time to tell our story, Iker."

Casillas has had romantic relationships with women in the past, including beauty pageant winner Eva Gonzalez. Most notably, the retired goalkeeper was married to Spanish sports journalist Sara Carbonero for five years (2016-2021). The now-divorced couple even had two children before they split up in the summer of 2021.

Similarly, Puyol also has two daughters with his ex-girlfriend Vanesa Lorenzo. The former Blaugrana defender has even expressed his affection to partners on the pitch during games before hanging up his boots.

In October 2010, Puyol scored a header in a 2-1 win against Valencia. The Spaniard celebrated by dedicating the goal to his girlfriend at the time with a heart symbol he made using both hands.

Following the encounter, he said (via Wikipedia):

“I dedicate the goal to my girlfriend."

With these facts in mind, this unexpected exchange between the duo on Twitter has left fans across the world dazed and confused. There is no confirmation as to whether these tweets really were posted by the retired players themselves, further mystifying the situation.

Here are some of the fans' reactions:

Iker Casillas' and Carles Puyol's careers at Real Madrid and Barcelona respectively

The Spanish duo had an interesting dynamic during their professional careers as they were rivals in La Liga but teammates in international football.

Casillas grew up in Real Madrid's academy and spent a long and successful career at the Bernabeu. The goalkeeper has registered 725 appearances across all competitions and has maintained 264 clean sheets during his time with the La Liga outfit.

The retired Spanish international has won an array of trophies with Real Madrid, including five La Liga titles and three UEFA Champions League titles.

Puyol enjoyed a similar career at Barcelona, Real Madrid's arch rivals in the Spanish top-flight. The defender wore the captain's armband from 2004 up until his retirement in 2014.

Over the course of his career at the Nou Camp, Puyol has registered 593 appearances across competitions, scoring 19 goals and providing 13 assists.