The Spanish star Gerard Pique decided, on Thursday, to end his career with Barcelona and retire from the football world, after he announced that Almeria’s meeting, scheduled for Saturday in the Spanish League, would be his last match at Camp Nou.
The life of the Barcelona captain was not without some strange and funny details and exciting events, which accompanied the player inside and outside the green rectangle, and in the next report, we will highlight the most prominent of them.
Messi’s first look
When Messi joined the Barcelona youth team, Pique thought he was dumb and useless, before he became the first one of the club’s legends, and recorded his name in golden letters in the history of the Catalan club, before leaving for Paris Saint-Germain.
Real Madrid hate
In a previous statement, Pique explained his hatred for Real Madrid, saying: “I was born this way, the rivalry between Barcelona and Madrid is rooted in me. I have already told Iker Casillas that I hope he will concede four goals in their meeting with Atlético de Madrid,” he also admitted that he supported Juventus by wearing Buffon’s shirt during a meeting in the European Champions, and he also said: “I always want everything to go wrong with Real Madrid, and I will not change, the Bernabeu whistles for me is special music to my ears.”
imprint trainers
Pique believes that Tito Vilanova and Ferguson are his real teachers. The former insisted on Guardiola for his return with Fabregas to the Blaugrana. Pique also has a special affection for Sir Alex Ferguson, even if the latter did not give him much opportunity to play in the Manchester United shirt, and about this, he said: “Ferguson said: “I see him as a father more than a coach. He is the president of Manchester United. He controls everything, even the personal lives of the players. He has made me so mature.”
defense stars
When Pique was young, he saw in Figo, Guardiola, and Fernando Hierro, his favorite stars, but since he turned professional, the Spaniard has changed all this, as he began to follow the videos of defender Franco Baresi, and despite his true admiration for the Italian star, Pique said In an earlier statement, Puyol and Gabriel Milito were the two defenders who impressed him during his career.
Van Gaal’s handshake
Invited to dinner, Pique met Dutch coach Louis van Gaal at the age of thirteen, and told the former Barcelona coach, after shaking hands with him, that he did not have the fist needed to become a player deep in defense.
United dressing room
After he went to Manchester United, the player discovered that life there was the opposite of what he knew in Barcelona, as the United dressing room is not in the same atmosphere and is led by Roy Keane with an iron fist, and about this, he said in a previous statement: “Ken scared me. One day I was in the locker room, and before the match, my phone started vibrating in my pocket. I just turned it off, and no one heard it except for Roy Keane. He went crazy and screamed everywhere. I was terrified.”
Bernabeu fans
On November 13, 2015, the Spanish national team was supposed to meet England in a friendly match that was scheduled at the “Santiago Bernabeu” stadium of the Real Madrid team, and the meeting was moved to Alicante later, for fear of boos from the royal fans on Pique .
mania
Gerard Pique himself admits that he is obsessed with the details of arranging his things.
investment
When some of his teammates suffered a pay crunch, Pique was playing the role of investor, since 2014, he has been the CEO of a video game startup, and has already released his first game, Godlin Manager.
mushroom
Like his current coach and former team-mate Xavi, Pique is keen on mushroom picking, traveling at least once a month through a forest in the Catalan hinterland with his uncle Jordi, to pick mushrooms.