Carles Puyol Saforcada

Carles Puyol began his footballing career in the local team of the small town where he was born, La Pobla de Segur. His talent soon attracted wider attention and, at the age of 17, he was signed up for the Barca academy at La Masía.

He rapidly became a fixture in Barca B and then progressed to make his debut with the first team on 2nd October 1999 against Valladolid at the orders of Louis Van Gaal. His appearances became more and more frequent until he made the right back position his own. Thanks to his determination to improve and a tremendous work rate, Carles Puyol adapted to the position of central defender.
In the 2003-2004 season, having been chosen as third captain, he played a vital role in the team's sensational run of form that led to the runners-up place in the league. Puyol made 27 appearances in the league and seven in the UEFA Cup.
However, Carles Puyol had to wait until the 2004-05 season to win his first medal with Barca. He was, by then, captain of the first team and an essential part of Frank Rijkaard's league championship winning side. At the end of the season, he finally saw his dream come true of lifting the league trophy in the Nou Camp.
During the 2005-06 season, he played as well as he had the previous year. The Barça captain had the honour of being presented with the league title trophy before the game against Espanyol, before lifting the UEFA Champions League in Paris after the monumental victory against Arsenal in the Saint-Denis Stadium. Puyol only missed five matches all season and none through injury. On three occasions he was rested by coach Frank Rijkaard and was then suspended for the other two games which he did not play in. He also scored one goal as he headed home during the 5-0 victory against Real Sociedad on October 30, 2005.
At the end of the following season in 2006/07 (in which he played in 35 of 38 League games), Carles Puyol suffered the worst injury of his career when the League was already over. He damaged ligaments in his knee in a friendly played in Pretoria on 20 June 2007 and this kept him out until 29 September. Despite missing the first months of the competition, the club captain finally played in 30 League games in the 2007/08 campaign.

In the treble winning season 2008/09, Carles Puyol was once again Barça’s most versatile defender. Guardiola used him as a right back in the Champions League final, a left back in the Copa del Rey final and also as centre back in most games. A great utility player, he also showed he can score goals, such as his header in the historic 6-2 win at the Bernabéu. In Rome he made history by becoming the first Barça captain to lift the Champions league trophy twice.

Carles Puyol is also a fixture in the Spanish national side, with which he played in the 2002 and 2006 World Cups and in the European Championships in 2004 and 2008. In the latter he was key figure as Spain won the title in Vienna.

PROFILE
Carles Puyol started off in the first team at right back but has since developed into a great central defender. He stands out for his tremendous fitness levels and his discipline on the pitch. He's a perfect example of a team player and he never over-complicates the job when he has to cut off an opposing attacking move.
He can also adapt to the left back position when circumstances dictate. Although he is not particularly tall (178 cm), his physical strength makes him very strong in the air and he is capable of man-marking opposing forwards who are taller than him. He also likes to get up in attack, especially for corners and free kicks.
More than anything else, Carles Puyol is a reference point for the rest of the squad due to his character and qualities of leadership and because of his pride in the Barca colours and his total identification with the Club.
HONOURS
FC Barcelona
2009/10 European Super Cup  
2009/10 Spanish Super Cup
2008/09 Champions League
2008/09 Liga
2008/09 Copa del Rey 
2006/07 Spanish Super Cup
2005/06 Champions League
2005/06 Liga
2005/06 Spanish Super Cup
2004/05 Liga

Spanish national team
2008 European Championship  
2000 Silver medal. Sidney Olympic Games

Rafael Márquez Álvarez

When he arrived in the 2003-2004 close season as one of the principal reinforcements in defence, Rafael Márquez was the first Mexican ever to play for Barça.

His youth and progress confirmed him as one of the most promising defenders in Europe, as he had demonstrated in his four seasons with Monaco and the three he played in Mexico.

Rafael Márquez was born on 13th February 1979 in Zamora Hidalgo, in the Mexican state of Michoacán de Ocampo. At the age of 14, he went for a trial with the Atlas de Guadalajara youth teams and was one of only two boys chosen out of one hundred. He made his debut in the Mexican First Division when he was just 17 years old and quickly cemented his place in the starting eleven.

After just 15 matches in the First Division, Márquez earned a call-up to the Mexico squad managed by Bora Milutinovic, to play in the Aztec Stadium in Mexico City against Ecuador on 5th February 1997.

In 1999, at 20 years old, he led Atlas to the final of the Mexican Summer Tournament, where they lost on penalties against Toluca. A few months later he was included in the national squad for the Copa America match against Paraguay. Mexico finally finished third.

After the Copa America, and before moving to Europe, Márquez earned his first silverware when Mexico won the Confederations Cup against Brazil.

Despite being only 20 years old when he joined Monaco, Márquez was one of the leading players in the Monaco squad and in his first year won the league and the Super Cup (in 2000) and was named as best defender in the French league. He consolidated his reputation as one of the most promising defenders in world football thanks to his class and excellent positioning. Only injury prevented him from playing more regularly. In his last season with Monaco (2002-03) he won the League Cup.

He was on the wish list of many of Europe’s top clubs and finally moved to Barça in the summer of 2003. He gradually won the confidence of Barça coach Frank Rijkaard until becoming a regular in the starting line-up, injury permitting. He made his competitive debut on 3rd September 2003 in matchday 2 against Sevilla in the Camp Nou. In his first season he was a key member of the team that secured a direct place in the Champions League.

In 2004-05, he demonstrated his versatility. The knee ligament injuries to Edmilson and Thiago Motta meant that Márquez was asked to step away from his usual role in the centre of defence and play as a defensive midfielder, as he had done for both Monaco and Mexico in the past. He proved to be outstanding in front of the defence as he helped the side win the league title.

Márquez played in 34 League games and 6 Champions League fixtures, scoring 3 goals. In the 2005-06 season Márquez partnered Carles Puyol in the centre of the defence and together they become one of the best central defensive pairings in Europe. In the year of the double, Márquez played in 25 League games and 8 Champions League encounters.

Once again, injuries limited the Mexican’s contribution in the 2006/07 and 07/08 seasons. In total he played in 21 and 22 League games respectively. With the arrival of Touré Yaya, Márquez once again moved back into the centre of the defence where he formed a fine pairing with Gaby Milito.

In the 2008/09 season, Rafa avoided injury until was injured in April against Chelsea and subsequently missed the Cup and Champions League finals. He recovered the brilliance of his early years with Barça and played 37 games and scored in every competition, despite playing at centre back.

He has been the captain of Mexico since he was a young player and has been the right-hand man on the pitch for recent national coaches. He captained Mexico in the 2002 and 2006 World Cups and has led his country in his four Copa America in 1999, 2001, 2004 and 2007.

PROFILE

Right footed and very skilful, he anticipates his opponents well. In addition, he is accurate in long passing, a great free kick taker and strong in the air thanks to his height.

In Mexico, he is known as the "Kaiser of Michoacán" for his elegance on the ball, dependability and skill coming out of defence with the ball at his feet, characteristics similar to those of Franz Beckenbauer.

Although his usual position is at centre back, he has the quality to play in central midfield. In this more attacking position, Márquez can impose his strength in the air as well as build the play from the back and break up opposition attacks.

He doesn’t hesitate to commit himself in defence and knows how to use his physical strength to dominate opposing forwards.

HONOURS
FC Barcelona
2009/10 European Super Cup  
2009/10 Spanish Super Cup
2008/09 Champions League
2008/09 Liga
2008/09 Copa del Rey
2006/07 Spanish Super Cup
2005/06 Champions League
2005/06 Liga
2005/06 Spanish Super Cup
2004/05 Liga

Monaco
2002/03 French League's Cup
2000 Supercup
1999/00 Ligue 1 

Mexican National Team
2003 Golden Cup
1999 Confederation Cup