Carles Puyol looks set to be offered a new long-term contract at Barcelona at the age of 34.
He's a symbol and merits different treatment, says Zubizarreta
Carles Puyol looks set to be offered a new long-term contract at Barcelona at the age of 34.
The Barca captain has been at the Nou Camp since he was a teenager and made his first-team debut for the club in October 1999.
The defender has revealed he has no plans to retire and instead is hoping to keep going for as long as possible.
"I want to keep playing football until the age of 40," Puyol was quoted as saying in the Catalan press.
That's an ambitious target if Puyol hopes to stay at a club that has won the UEFA Champions League in three of the last seven seasons.
But Barcelona sporting director Andoni Zubizarreta readily admits that different rules apply when it comes to the iconic Catalan figure.
"The situation of Carles is special because it is not a simple deal," added Zubizarreta.
"For us he is a symbol in the club and merits different treatment.
"Barcelona will not be hasty on this subject but we are totally certain that we want Puyol at our club forever."