C. Puyol extended contract with "Barca" © EuroFootball.com

The leaders of the champions club in Spain continue their strategy and aim to retain the team's leaders. On Thursday, another key player of the main squad - team captain Carles Puyol - signed a long-term contract with the team.

The contract of the defender from the Catalonia club with "Barca" was valid until the summer of 2007, but Carles agreed to extend the contract for another three years. If other clubs wanted to buy out C. Puyol's contract, they would have to "pay" 150 million euros. By the way, this was already the seventh "Barcelona" footballer to extend the contract until 2010.

Earlier, long-term contracts were signed by V. Valdes, Xavi, Deco, S. Eto'o, A. Iniesta, and Ronaldinho, while the young talent of the team, L. Messi, will play in the club until 2014.

In 1995, C. Puyol joined the Barcelona youth team at the age of seventeen. Coaches quickly noticed the player's talent and soon Carles was invited to the "Barcelona B" team. In October 1999, the footballer made his debut for the main "Barcelona" team and soon established himself in the starting lineup.