Puyol Rejects Barcelona Sporting Director Role

Former Barcelona captain Carles Puyol says he has rejected the chance to rejoin the club as a sporting director.

Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu said this month he was hopeful of convincing Puyol to return to the Nou Camp to fill the role left vacant by Pep Segura, who departed by mutual consent in July.

"After thinking about it a lot I decided not to accept the club's offer," Puyol, who spent his entire playing career at Barcelona between 1999 and 2014, said on Twitter on Wednesday.

"It was not an easy decision, I always said I would like to return to the place I consider my home, but various personal projects I find myself immersed in at the moment would stop me from giving the exclusive dedication this role deserves."

Puyol would have worked at Barca alongside sporting director Eric Abidal and director of youth football Patrick Kluivert, both former team-mates.