18 months after he hung his boots at the Camp Nou, Barcelona legend, Carles Puyol has reportedly set up an agency with his friend and former team-mate Ivan de la Pena.

‘Ivan is passionate about football. He loves discovering new talents. He can spend the whole day watching young players – he told me about Neymar and Coutinho when they were both 14 years old and Douglas Costa too.’ he told reporters this week.

The ex Spain international will coach players signed into the company, mentor them on how to make the best of their careers. His first big signing is Barca defender Marc Bartra.

Asked why he turned down roles to become assistant manager and sporting director at Inter Milan and Barcelona respectively, the Spaniard said

‘I had an offer which surprised me and made me proud but when you stop playing you need to take a step back at first. I was not very happy or motivated when I first retired. It is not easy going from being out in the open air to working in an office. I found the lifestyle change hard.

 He continued, ‘I did not want to accept the chance to replace Zubizarreta. But I learned a lot and saw another side of football. I did not feel ready to take the step and work alongside Mancini either.’

Source: Daily Mail