Carles Puyol, a cornerstone to Spain’s back line at this summer’s World Cup, has confirmed he will return to the national team as La Furia Roja defends their European title.
Spain’s Carles Puyol To Push For Euro 2012
The Barcelona captain has been capped 90 times for the national team, scoring four goals during his international career, but at 32-years-old there had been mild speculation that the central defender may retire from the national team, having won a European and world title within the last two years.
Instead, Puyol will stay through the Poland and Ukraine championships in 2012.
“After mulling over the issue a great deal, I have decided to continue playing for the national team for two more years,” the 32-year-old Puyol said on his personal blog.Puyol debuted for the national team in November 2000 and has been a key part of the team’s defense ever since. Over the last year he has been joined by Barcelona teammate Gerard Piqué as Spain’s central defense pairing, and while speculation post-World Cup held Puyol would quit Spain to focus on his club career, the Catalan icon will maintain his partnership with Piqué for both club and country.
Spain starts their European championship defense on September 3 with they face Leichtenstein, two teams in a group that also includes Lithuania, Scotland and the Czech Republic.
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