Barcelona captain Carles Puyol has announced he will leave the Spanish champions at the end of the season.
The 35-year-old Spain international had a contract with Barça until 2016 but has reached an agreement with the club to rescind the final two years of the deal.
Puyol, who has spent his entire career at Barcelona and made his first-team debut in 1999, made the announcement at a press conference on Tuesday afternoon.
Puyol press conference
He said: "I want to announce that at the end of the season I will no longer be a Barcelona player.
"There are three months of the season left and I will not give up. I will help the team."
Puyol came through Barça's youth ranks and made his Primera Division debut in the 2-0 victory at Real Valladolid in October 1999.
He has made 593 appearances for the Catalan giants and is the second most capped player in the club's history behind current team-mate Xavi.
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