Barcelona legend Carles Puyol rejects sports director job due to ‘personal projects’
BARCELONA legend Carles Puyol rejected the chance to return to the club as sports director.
The former centre-back, 41, turned down the job in order to pursue "personal projects".
Pep Segura left the post in July by mutual consent and Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu turned to Puyol as he tried to find a replacement.
But the club legend has ruled himself out of the reckoning for the time being.
He took to Twitter and wrote: "After thinking about it a lot I decided not to accept the club's offer.
"It was not an easy decision.
"I always said I would like to return to the place I consider my home, but various personal projects I find myself immersed in at the moment would stop me from giving the exclusive dedication this role deserves.
"I would like to thank the club for the trust placed in me by offering me this position of so much responsibility."
Former team-mates Eric Abidal and Patrick Kluivert are part of the sporting department at the Nou Camp.
Meanwhile, Victor Valdes is the Under-19s coach as the club continue their tradition of keeping former players involved post-retirement.
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Puyol - who has hopefully now fully recovered after smashing through a glass door last month - spent his entire 15-year playing career with the Catalan giants and won 13 major trophies with Barcelona, including three Champions Leagues.
He was also part of the successful Spanish side that won Euro 2008 and the World Cup two years later - but missed Euro 2012 due to injury.
Soon after hanging up his boots in 2014, he spent some time as an assistant to then sporting director Andoni Zubizarreta but left in January 2015.
