"The thinking intensified" - Barcelona president Joao Laporta comments on Gerard Pique's retirement
Legendary Barcelona defender Gerard Pique announced that he would retire from football after the Blaugrana play Almeria in their La Liga clash on Saturday, November 5.
The center-half's sudden decision to retire came as a surprise to fans and pundits alike, but Barca president Joan Laporta was in the know.
The Camp Nou chief explained to club media that the 35-year-old's decision to retire had been in the works for some time.
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He noted that while the discussions were ongoing, they only escalated recently, saying (via BarcaUniversal):
“We have been discussing Pique’s retirement for a while, and recently the thinking intensified. We decided to leave the final decision in his hands. We respect and share the decision. He will remain a reference for the club.
“Gerard has achieved everything for the club. He spent 25 years here, he’s been a Cule from a young age. It was an honour to have him play for Barcelona. Gerard is part of the Barca badge.”
Gerard Piqué has reportedly given up around €30M that Barcelona owed him! 😮
If anyone deserves to be known as a club hero, it's him! 👏 https://t.co/OMef3nxmDG
Laporta also explained that the club's finances would not be seriously affected by Pique's decision:
“Pique has always been willing to help the club economically. The agreement to terminate Gerard’s contract is advanced. He expressed his desire to help the club. He knows about our difficult financial fair play situation, and there need to be some adjustments.”
Barcelona defender Pique retires for four reasons: Report
According to Marca, there are four main reasons that culminated in Pique's decision to hang up his boots in November, rather than waiting till the end of the season.
The first, which is arguably the most obvious, is the 35-year-old's lack of playing time under Xavi Hernandez. For most of this season, the defender has cut a forlorn figure on the bench in consecutive games. He has only played due to other players getting injured, but as a fifth-choice center-back, he would see no minutes.
The Barcelona defender also went through a highly-publicized split with Shakira, which put him in the headlines for all the wrong reasons. In the event that the Waka Waka crooner moves to the United States with their children, he would want the opportunity to be close to them.
Third, the club reportedly wanted him to leave. His rather poor performances have not justified his massive wages in recent times, and with the club in dire financial straits, an exit would be for the best.
Finally, Pique has started off with a business empire, which has seen him take time off football prior to his retirement.