[VIDEO] Barca's Carles Puyol arrives in Karachi

[MenInG]

KARACHI: Carles Puyol, aka Captain Fantastic, will arrive in Karachi on March 16 to promote football as part of World Soccer Stars.

Retired Spanish international, Puyol spent his entire career with his local childhood team Barcelona. He is regarded as one of the best defenders and leaders of his generation. Referred to as the ‘wall’ by his teammates due to his explosive strength, commanding air presence, intense commitment and ruggedness, the versatile defender could play on either flank but really stamped his mark globally on the centre back position.

“Karachi I look forward to seeing you all and I am really excited to meet all my fans in Pakistan,” Puyol said. “World Soccer Stars presents a great opportunity to celebrate the arrival of football and from what I know football is the next emerging sport in Pakistan”.

TouchSky Group's Ahmer Kunwar said, “It’s a real privilege to see the bedrock of Barcelona FC defence in Pakistan. We are proud to see him as the official face to kick off World Soccer Stars which kicks off on April 27 in Karachi and April 28 in Lahore.”

Puyol’s visit will also involve fan engagement at Dolmen Mall in Karachi where he will meet fans and release special edition of VR headsets signed by him.

The former Spanish international will be at Dolmen Mall on March 16 from 4pm.

TouchSky Group's Robert Head said, “It’s a huge achievement to have Carles Puyol in Pakistan, as I know how much Barcelona is followed across the country. He has played with Messi, Iniesta and Xavi which shows that World Soccer Stars reaching its climax.”

A football match and concert featuring AKON will be held in Karachi on Saturday, April 27 and in Lahore on Sunday, April, 28.

https://www.geo.tv/latest/230826-barcas-carles-puyol-will-be-in-karachi-on-march-16

 

[Arham_PakFan]

Awesome. This TouchSky group is doing good work.

But this is just the start. Pakistani football needs some money injected from the private sector because the PFF is useless.

 

[MenInG]

Legendary Spain and Barcelona superstar Carles Puyol will visit Karachi on Saturday to promote football and kick off ticket sales for World Soccer Stars 2019.

“Karachi, I look forward to seeing you all and I am really excited to meet all my fans in Pakistan," Puyol was quoted as saying in a press release issued by the organisers on Tuesday. "World Soccer Stars presents a great opportunity to celebrate the arrival of football and from what I know football is the next emerging sport in Pakistan.”

A project of TouchSky Group, World Soccer Stars 2019 is the moniker of two exhibition matches that will be staged on April 27 and 28 in Karachi and Lahore respectively featuring some of the biggest names of world football. The matches would also feature a concert by American-Senegalese singer Akon.

“It’s a real privilege to see the bedrock of FC Barcelona defence in Pakistan and we are proud to see him as the official face to kick off World Soccer Stars tour,” said Ahmer Kunwar, the TouchSky Group CEO.

Fans would get to interact with Puyol at Dolmen Mall in Karachi, where he is expected to launch a special edition of VR headsets bearing his signatures.

"It’s a huge achievement to have Carles Puyol in Pakistan as I know how much FC Barcelona is followed across the country. He has played with Messi, Iniesta and Xavi which shows that World Soccer Stars is reaching its climax,” Robert Head of TouchSky Group added.

Puyol is a retired professional footballer who spent his entire career with his boyhood FC Barcelona. He is regarded as one of the best defenders of his generation.

He was referred to as the "wall" by his teammates due to his strength, commanding air presence, commitment and ruggedness. The versatile defender could play on either flank but stamped his mark globally as a centre-back.

The TouchSky Group brought legendary footballers Ricardo Kaka and Luis Figo to Pakistan in January, and also set up Nicolas Anelka's meeting with Pakistan Football Federation (PFF), Syed Ashfaq Shah last week.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1469193/spain-barcelona-legend-carles-puyol-to-visit-karachi-on-saturday

 

[MenInG]

[utube]oFMjIQYK7u0[/utube]

 

[MenInG]

Carles Puyol, legendary Spain and Barcelona superstar, arrived in Karachi on Saturday to promote football and kick off ticket sales for World Soccer Stars 2019.

Puyol, who has joined the list of global football stars to have visited Pakistan in the past year, will be featuring in the World Soccer Stars 2019 — a project of TouchSky Group. The event will comprise two exhibition matches that will be staged on April 27 and 28 in Karachi and Lahore respectively featuring some of the biggest names of world football. He will be joined by Portugal great Luis Figo, Brazilian superstar Kaka and mercurial Frenchman Nicolas Anelka.

Earlier this year, Kaka and Figo had also arrived in Pakistan to promote the World Soccer Stars 2019.

"Karachi, I look forward to seeing you all and I am really excited to meet all my fans in Pakistan," Puyol was quoted as saying in a press release issued by the organisers on Tuesday. "World Soccer Stars presents a great opportunity to celebrate the arrival of football and from what I know football is the next emerging sport in Pakistan.”

Fans would get to interact with Puyol at Dolmen Mall in Karachi today, where he is expected to launch a special edition of VR headsets bearing his signatures.

The former defender is also likely to attend the final match of the fourth Pakistan Super League tournament, that will be played at the National Stadium, Karachi on Sunday. However, the organisers did not disclose his trip details in the press statement that announced his visit.

Puyol is a 40-year-old retired professional footballer who spent his entire career with his boyhood club, FC Barcelona. He is regarded as one of the best defenders of his generation.

He was referred to as the "wall" by his teammates due to his strength, commanding air presence, commitment and ruggedness. The versatile defender could play on either flank but stamped his mark globally as a centre-back.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1470003/legendary-football-star-carles-puyol-arrives-in-karachi

 

[WhenSultansBowled]

Oh sweet days when Puyol was the backbone of FCB!

Valors, seny i humiltat!

Moltes gracies Carles!

 

[Greenstorm]

He was clutch. Scored a crucial goal against Germany in WC semifinal.

 

[Saj]

What a player this guy was.

One of the best centre-halves I have ever seen.

This guy never shirked a tackle and would put his head where others wouldn't dare.

 

[MenInG]

KARACHI: UEFA Champions League winners Kaka, Luis Figo, Carles Puyol and Nicolas Anelka will be in Pakistan next month for the World Soccer Stars exhibition tour, which was earlier scheduled to be held in April.

The event was earlier postponed due to what organisers cited was “a change in business economy” of the country but they announced on Friday that the football legends will arrive in Karachi on November 9 before playing an exhibition match at the National Hockey Stadium in Lahore the next day.

FIFA World Cup winners Puyol and Kaka, along with Figo and Anelka, visited Pakistan earlier this year as part of promotions for the event. The match in Lahore will see Pakistan players, shortlisted from a “talent hunt roadshow”, play alongside the legendary footballers.

In Karachi, they are expected to take part in coaching clinics involving young players while attending other fan engagement events. Dawn has learnt that they aren’t playing a match in Karachi due to the lack of an adequate playing facility.

Former Brazilian midfield maestro Kaka and Portugal great Figo came to Karachi and Lahore in January with former France striker Anelka visiting Islamabad in the first week of March.

Former Spanish defender Puyol came later in March, gracing the closing ceremony of the Pakistan Super League final at the National Stadium in Karachi. “I was greeted by thousands of fans in Karachi in March this year, now it’s my turn to welcome you to the most anticipated soccer tour of Pakistan,” Puyol was quoted as saying in the news release.

The organisers said that the tour “aims to promote the promise of football in Pakistan by bringing in international players to inspire the development of football in the country” and it will arrive at an interesting time for Pakistan football.

About a month ago, global football body FIFA installed a Normalisation Committee for the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) — ending nearly five years of crisis and controversy in the country’s football governing body — with the aim of “bringing Pakistani football back on track and see it thriving in the country.”

https://www.dawn.com/news/1512934/football-legends-kaka-figo-and-puyol-to-play-in-lahore-next-month

 

[Rana]

If fifa, a governing body that is 50 times bigger than the ICC can regularly send some of the biggest names in the History of world football to Pakistan for its promotion, then I dont understand how nobodys in the world's eyes such as ACB, ECB and New Zealand cricket board could be so scared to send out a team.

 

[IAJ]

If fifa, a governing body that is 50 times bigger than the ICC can regularly send some of the biggest names in the History of world football to Pakistan for its promotion, then I dont understand how nobodys in the world's eyes such as ACB, ECB and New Zealand cricket board could be so scared to send out a team.

Football players are real men and athletes. Cricketers are only scared and soft gentlemen

 

[Rana]

Football players are real men and athletes. Cricketers are only scared and soft gentlemen

I was thinking, it wouldn’t be far fetched to think that Kaka’s net worth is more than BCCI put together. Maybe an exaggeration but definitely more than ACB and ECB.

 

[Pakistanian]

Football players are real men and athletes. Cricketers are only scared and soft gentlemen

Lol I think it's cause of the English influence in cricket. The Anglo races (England, Australia, New Zealand) are really sheltered and have this sense of entitlement.

 

[MenInG]