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Tag: Pique

  • If Barca don’t want me, I’ll retire from playing – Pique

    If Barca don’t want me, I’ll retire from playing – Pique

    FC Barcelona’s veteran central defender Gerard Pique said on Friday that he would hang his boots and retire from football if the club wanted him to leave.

    The 34-year-old, who is also the owner of third-tier side FC Andorra, ruled out playing for the club he owns.

    “The day I stop playing for Barca, I will leave football. I will never play for another team.

    “If [FC Barcelona coach] Ronald Koeman told me tomorrow that I had to go, I will retire from the game,” he insisted.

    Pique was asked about the criticism that players receive in the modern game, and replied that “criticism is part of football.”

    “When you run out onto the pitch, you know what you could be letting yourself in for. Football attracts more sentimental responses than anything.

    “It is like politics and you have to accept criticism,” commented the defender.

    Pique’s off-field activities, such as the purchase of FC Andorra and of the Davis Cup tennis tournament through his company Kosmos Holding, have led to speculations.

    It has been said that he may one day run to be FC Barcelona president, something the defender did not deny.

    “It’s something I have always said I am interested in. It’s the club I’ve supported all my life, but there is still a long way to go and I want to continue as a player.

    “We’ll see what my plans are when I retire,” he said.

  • I hope Haaland comes to Barca – Pique

    I hope Haaland comes to Barca – Pique

    Barcelona defender Gerard Pique would welcome Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland to the Nou Camp.

    The Blaugrana’s finances are in a perilous position, but there is still optimism that they could lure a big-name player to the Camp Nou this summer.

    “I have no idea, I hope that he comes [to Barcelona],” Pique said during a chat with YouTuber Ibai Llanos.

    “The great players should be with us, but that’s a decision for the club to make. They will know.”

    The 33-year-old Sergio Aguero has joined Barcelona on a free and Pique has admitted that they have a pre-existing relationship.

    “I already got on well with him. For years, we’ve always been connected on social media,” he commented.

    “I played the U20 World Cup against him, because we are from the same generation. Leo [Messi] speaks very well of him.”

  • Valencia made us suffer – Pique

    Valencia made us suffer – Pique

    Barcelona defender Gerard Pique was delighted with their 3-2 win at Valencia.

    Two goals from Lionel Messi and another from Antoine Griezmann ensured the Catalans remained within two points of leaders Atletico Madrid.

    Pique said, “The knee’s fine, it was a small problem but nada. After the unexpected loss (against Granada) this was a very important game to keep fighting until the end.

    “We knew there would be no easy games. This means we are still in the fight for the title. To be there until the end is an achievement, that’s what we wanted at the start of the season, even more after the first half of the campaign. It was a similar game to Villarreal today, dominating, we had the chances … Valencia scored the first but the team was good, turned it around and we were able to control the game. A golazo from Soler meant we suffered a little at the end.”

    On the result, Pique also stated: “We would like to kill games off earlier … these are things that happen. We also have to analyse the goals. The problem is all the chances opponents have are going in, we have to analyse that.

    “Thursday was completely unexpected and the defeat damaged us, but winning at Villarreal and Valencia was complicated and gives us confidence. We’re still competing and if you look back six months that’s an achievement.”

  • Pique in tears as Barca fear defender’s season is over

    Pique in tears as Barca fear defender’s season is over

    There are fears Gerard Pique’s season is over after he suffered a knee injury in Barcelona’s defeat to Atletico Madrid.

    The 33-year-old was forced off the field at the Wanda Metropolitano in tears with a potentially serious knee injury after a freak collision with Angel Correa.

    Sport reports Pique could be facing a six-month lay-off, adding to the growing list of absentees for Barca, who are already without Ansu Fati and Samuel Umtiti, while Sergi Roberto also hobbled off in Saturday’s 1-0 defeat.

    Correa fell with his full weight onto Pique’s outstretched leg forcing it to bend in an awkward direction, with the Spaniard visibly distressed.

    It is believed the dressing room have already recognised it as a serious injury and could force the Spain international out for six months.

  • Pique calls for ‘bottom to top’ changes after Barca’s ‘tremendously painful’ defeat

    Pique calls for ‘bottom to top’ changes after Barca’s ‘tremendously painful’ defeat

    FC Barcelona defender Gerard Pique says radical changes are needed from top to bottom after his side were annihilated 8-2 by Bayern Munich on Friday.

    The loss meant they made their exit from the 2019/2020 UEFA Champions League in one of the Catalan side’s darkest ever nights.

    “We feel devastated, although ‘shame’ is the real word I’m looking for.

    “We cannot afford to compete like this because it’s not the first, the second or the third time that something like this has happened,” a tearful Pique told reporters after the quarter-final drubbing, their worst-ever result in Europe.

    “This is very painful but I hope it serves some purpose.”

    Pique is one of the surviving members of the team who won the UEFA Champions League in 2009 under Pep Guardiola to begin a golden era for the Catalans.

    But he said he was ready to leave the club in order to ensure they improve.

    Pique also appeared to blame the Barca hierarchy, which includes president Josep Maria Bartomeu, for the team’s predicament as he called for changes at the very top.

    “We all need to reflect deeply. The club needs lots of changes.

    “I’m not talking about the coach, players —- I don’t want to point the finger at anyone, but the club needs changes on a structural level,” he said.

    “If new blood needs to come for the club to change course then I’m not untouchable and I’ll be the first to leave if needs be, because it seems as if we’ve hit rock bottom.

    “We all have to reflect about what is the best thing for the club and for Barca.”

    Barca coach Quique Setien is unlikely to survive overseeing such a debacle, although he did not say whether or not he saw himself continuing in charge of the team.

    “I’m not going to go into all that as I’ve only been here for six months. But seeing as this is Pique, surely some of what he said is true,” said the coach.

    “Right now we feel enormous frustration and all we can do is make conclusions and think about the future.

    “Barca is a club that is so great that this will cause us a lot of damage and obviously some things will have to change.

    “The truth is this is a tremendously painful defeat.”