No dancing on my watch! Puyol finally explains why he stopped Thiago and Alves
Fourteen years later, one of Barcelona's most iconic captaincy moments finally has its explanation.
Details: Carles Puyol has opened up about the famous incident when he stopped his teammates from dancing after scoring against Rayo Vallecano. The legendary captain said it was simply common sense: he is not against dancing after a goal, but it depends on the moment, as Barcelona were leading 6:0 away at a team that had just been relegated.
The story dates back to April 2012, when Thiago and Dani Alves had agreed before the match to perform a choreographed dance together. When Thiago scored, he started dancing with Dani, but Puyol immediately intervened, feeling it was inappropriate given how difficult the situation was for Rayo, their team and their fans. Both players apologized after the game, and even Guardiola backed his captain's decision.
That night at Vallecas ended 7:0 and became a lesson in leadership that is still quoted in dressing rooms today. It's worth noting that Puyol, now 48, won three Champions Leagues, the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2008, and episodes like this explain why he remains the standard for what a captain should be.
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Miguel Solomons
Dailysports's expert
