Carles Puyol: Ronaldo called Barcelona legend the embodiment of fair play - video shows why

Carles Puyol has gone down in history as one of the greatest defenders ever.

Puyol spent his whole club career at Barcelona, where he played 593 times and helped them win 18 titles.

He was a fierce competitor who put in everything he had each and every game.

However, despite being so competitive, Puyol played the game in the right spirit and always had respect for his opponents.

And a video, put together by Youtube user Afikah qumairha, shows he was the king of fair play. View it below…

It’s custom for the captain to lift a trophy for the first time after winning it.

But, after Barca were crowned La Liga champions in 2013, Puyol decided that it would mean more for Vilanova and Abidal to lift the trophy.

Vilanova was suffering from parotid gland cancer at the time, while Abidal had recovered from a long battle with a tumour in his liver, which required him to have a liver transplant.

Barcelona were preparing to defend a corner in El Clasico when Pique was struck by a lighter thrown by a fan. He held up the lighter in the direction of the referee and looked in pain.

But Pique had absolutely no sympathy for his teammate and threw the lighter off the field so they could defend the corner.

Alves and Thiago celebrated intensely when Barcelona went 5-0 up against relegation-threatened Rayo in 2015,

Puyol, realising that their celebrations may wind up Rayo, ran up the pitch and quickly put a halt to the celebrations.

Both Alves and Thiago apologised after the match.

Puyol was slapped by Mallorca’s Sergio Ballesteros after a confrontation in 2005.

Ronaldinho ran to Ballesteros in defence of his teammate, but Puyol prevented him from getting involved.

Barcelona beat Ronaldinho’s AC Milan in the 2010 Joan Gamper Trophy.

Puyol