Puyol: "I think I could play until I'm 35 or 36"

Barcelona player Carles Puyol gave an interview to the offical website of Powergym, a brand of dietary supplements that also sponsors Puyol's website.





What is the secret to keep so many years in the elite of a professional sport like football?
Many things, first try to be very professional, to take care of yourself, to train hard and off the pitch it's very important to be aware of your diet.

It costs you more now than before to stay in shape?
No, more or less the same. Just as the years pass you must change training a little, you should be more careful and selective when you do the training. At the moment I am very well and I hope it lasts for many years.

Until which age do you see yourself playing at the highest level?
I think until 35 or 36, but I don't know, we'll see.

Throughout your career you didn't suffer major injuries... That's thanks to what?
Besides everything I do to prevent injuries, luck plays a role because football is a very physical sport, with a lot of contact and sometimes there are injuries that are inevitable.

Do you work with a personal coach?
Yes.

How does he help you?
I have a number of people around me apart from the club's coaches, who are very good for sure. Anyway, I'm happy with the results I get with the help of people from outside the club.

How are you feeling this year, physically speaking?
This year I'm very well, last season was more complicated because I was injured. This year I was able to relax in summer, I had a good pre-season and I feel really good.

How many hours a day do you train?
It depends, because when you play at Barca, you have at least two games a week and sometimes you cannot train a lot, since the games are though and you have to recover.

The physical preparation is hard for a professional player?
No, I don't think so. The hardest thing are the games and that you get kicked at training every day because there's always contact and you'll never going to training without feeling pain somewhere. I think that's the hardest thing about football.

Translated by: Riis

This was the second part of this interview. You will be able to read the following part in the coming days and you can read the first part here:
Puyol: "I don't want to become a coach"


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