Barca defender Piqué pays emotional tribute to “guardian angel” Puyol

Barcelona defender Gerard Piqué has penned a heart-felt message of gratitude to his teammate and club captain Carles Puyol who is to leave the club at the end of the season.

Piqué, who played alongside Puyol during the most successful spell in Barca’s history, thanked his “guardian angel” for helping him settle upon his return to Spain from Manchester United in 2008.

“My generation and those that come after do not know what the club will be like without Puyi in defence branding the captain’s armband and the number 5 on the back of his shirt,” the Spanish international wrote on Facebook.

“I think that nothing will ever be the same again,” he added.

Piqué also alluded to some of the great nights in Barca’s recent history, mentioning their Champions League victories of 2009 and 2011 that he was a part of, and 2006 while he was still with Manchester United.

Having beaten United in the 2011 final at Wembley, Puyol invited French defender Éric Abidal, who had undergone surgery to remove a tumour in his liver just two months previously, to lift the trophy – a gesture that resonated with his friend and teammate Piqué.

“If I look back and remember Paris or Rome, the first image that comes to my mind is you lifting the European Cup. You gave the honour of lifting the trophy in Wembley to Abi, which makes you even greater,” wrote Piqué.

Puyol yesterday announced that he will leave the club at the end of the season after reaching an agreement with Barca to cancel the remaining two years of his contract.

El meu àngel de la guarda. http://t.co/Fxm8VVppIo #gràciesPuyol pic.twitter.com/hw6SsqKGoe

— Gerard Piqué (@3gerardpique) March 4, 2014

The club captain has made 593 appearances for his boyhood club and won six Spanish titles, two Spanish cups and three Champions League medals as well as a host of other trophies.

He made his 100th international appearance for Spain in February 2013 against Uruguay, but has struggled with knee injuries over the last number of years.