Carles Puyol Says He's Turned Down Sporting Director Role Offer from Barcelona

Legendary former Barcelona defender Carles Puyol has said he has turned down the chance to become sporting director at the Camp Nou.

The role's previous incumbent, Pep Segura, resigned from the post in July this year along with vice-president Jordi Mestre. It means club president Josep Maria Bartomeu has been on the hunt for someone to fill the sporting director position and apparently Puyol was asked.

However, in a statement on Twitter, the 41-year-old said he would not be taking up an administrative role with the Catalan giants, per AS:

"In recent weeks, several news stories about my possible incorporation at FC Barcelona as a sports director have been published. As such, I feel obligated to communicate to the whole Cule family that, after weighing it up a lot, I have decided not to accept the club's offer.

"It has not been an easy decision, since I have always said that I would like to return to what I consider my home.

"But various personal projects in which I am immersed would prevent me, at this time, from giving the exclusive dedication that the position deserves. I would like to thank the club for the trust placed in me by offering me this position of so much responsibility."

Puyol retired from playing in 2014 and became assistant to ex-sporting director Andoni Zubizarreta before leaving the post in January 2015.

That experience, coupled with his legendary status at Barcelona, would have been useful to Puyol if he had accepted the vacant position.

The rejection will come as a blow to Bartomeu, who had said he was hopeful the club's former captain would take the job, per Sky Sports. In an interview with Sport earlier this year, Barcelona star Lionel Messi also said he would like to see Puyol in the role:

If the former Barcelona captain had accepted the offer, he would have joined some old team-mates in administrative positions. Eric Abidal is the director of football at the Camp Nou, while Patrick Kluivert is an academy director.

Puyol spent his entire career at Barcelona, playing for the first team for 15 years. He won six La Liga titles, the UEFA Champions League three times and is regarded as one of the best captains the club has had.

Mundo Deportivo (h/t Football Espana) reported that Mestre walked away from his post following criticism of the club's transfer policy over the summer.