Xavi & Puyol: Much more than just contract renewals

Barcelona is busy negotiating new deals for a number of its players, although the club’s priority is renewing Carles Puyol and Xavi Hernández. The captain is out of contract in June and the midfielder a year later.
Although sporting talent is the order of the day when deciding transfers and contract renewals, Puyol and Xavi’s circumstances go far beyond that. The club considers them vital for their contributions to the squad off the pitch. They are both responsible for the unseen job of promoting and maintaining a good atmosphere within the dressing room.
The two internationals, alongside Iniesta, Valdés and Messi are the leaders in the club’s dressing room, setting attitudinal and behavioural standards for the rest of the squad. Nobody argues with them and everyone accepts that they have played a big part in the number of trophies won in recent years, both with Barcelona and the Spanish national team.
Both Puyol and Xavi have seen tough times at the club, some of the worst in Barcelona’s most recent history and during which the club didn’t win any trophies. They also lived through the end of the Rijkaard era, in which the club went from winning both the league and the Champions League to falling out of contention.