FCBARCELONA.CAT

30.05.2010 21:59

Barrufet deserved a better farewell

Meritxell Infante / Llorenç Tarrés

David Barrufet has played his last game for the Club. The Barça captain is retiring with 71 trophies to his name with Barça including the seven European Cups won by the Club – a record. Not even the defeat in Kiel can spoil that.

A few days away from his 40th birthday, David Barrufet has been cruelly robbed of the perfect present to end a great career, despite producing a great performance that very much summed up his 21 seasons in the top flight.

However, it wasn’t enough to overcome Kiel. A true gentleman of the game right up to the last, David didn’t deserve such a disappointing farewell. But like the great captain he is, he encouraged his players on until the last moment.

The most successful ever

Barrufet is bowing out with an astonishing 71 trophies won with Barça. His European honours also include the Cup Winners Cup (2), the Super Cup (5) and the EHF Cup.

He was born in Barcelona on 4th June 1970 and started playing handball at the age of 8. He signed for Barça when he was 14, learning a great deal from some great goalkeepers such as Lorenzo Rico, the regular keeper when he broke into the first team. He was named best goalkeeper in the World by the International Handball Federation in 2000/01 and 2001/02. Today he showed once again that this recognition was fully deserved.

Present in all the finals

He won the European Cup for the first time at 19 and since then has taken part in all of Barça’s European finals, including the five consecutive titles of the Dream Team, and also the last two, when most of his team-mates from that earlier period were no longer at the Club.

So Barrufet has failed to win more European Cups than Dream Team companions Xavi O'Callaghan and Andrei Xepkin. Oca won the seven with Barça, while Xepkin collected one with Kiel and six with Barça.

A hero’s farewell

Some 5,674 fans came to the Palau to watch him play his last minutes in the game between Barça Borges and Naturhouse La Rioja in the ASOBAL. league.

Barrufet announced his retirement last February and qualification for the Final Four gave the rest of the team the opportunity to give him a very special parting present. At the end of the game, he brought his team-mates together and told them in front of the cameras: “Next year, you will win it”.

From tomorrow, David Barrufet, who is a law graduate, will join the Club’s legal department.

"It was a great game and very competitive. I’m angry about losing but I’m sure my team-mates will play the Final Four next season and they’ll win it. He also thanked the 500 Barça fans who made the long journey to the Lanxess Arena: "I’m sorry for them and for saying goodbye without giving them the trophy they deserve”.