Carles Puyol is hopeful his former Barcelona teammates can help Xavi Hernandez end his Camp Nou career with a Champions League success.
Xavi is set for his final Barca game when Luis Enrique’s side meet Juventus in Berlin on Saturday and the club’s former captain, who retired last year, has been speaking about the occasion on Catalan radio.
“I hope [Xavi leaves after winning the trophy,” Puyol said, Sport reports.
“I have confidence in the team and it would be a very beautiful way to finish his time as a Barca player. A player like him deserves to leave Barca that way.
“He could leave the way I would have liked to.”
Puyol added a little more about his own departure, and explained what Xavi would experience lifting the trophy as captain as opposed to the other times he’s claimed silverware.
“Xavi has lifted trophies but I hope he can lift the Champions League and he’ll see that it’s different,” Puyol said.
“Like when I asked Eric Abidal to lift the Champions League. He fought hard and demonstrated to us you always have to fight.
“I’d already told Abidal and I hope Xavi gets to do it. It’s hard to explain what it’s like when you lift a trophy.
“Practically the fate of my entire career has been alongside Xavi. I like defending and Barca is a team that is very defensive and I enjoyed it a lot.
“When they have the ball, Xavi, Andres [Iniesta], not to mention [Lionel] Messi…they play so well it is amazing.
“After winning everything we’re now about to make history again. There’s a lot of value in what they’re doing.
“The team still has a long journey ahead and there are young players eager to win. I hope this lasts.
“[If I was still playing] I would be preparing for the Champions League final. I didn’t think my departure would be like it was. I wanted to play until I was 40.
“I thought I could because I was physically fine but when you get these injuries…
“I’m much better now but I’m not able to compete. Football is aggressive and if I play I have to be 100% and that is very difficult.”
Puyol was briefly part of the Barca sporting department, under Andoni Zubizarreta, who was sacked partway through the season, while Puyol himself resigned.
“Luis Enrique is a close friend who has always helped a lot. I’ve learned a lot from him and I’m happy for my colleagues,” Puyol said when asked about the current Barca set-up.
“I have no regrets. It was like doing a Master’s degree. Maybe I rushed into it when I accepted the job but it was a good proposal.
“The transition isn’t easy but it’s a position I like. Who knows if it’ll happen again in the future? I am more in that direction than that of a Coach.”
