Barcelona superstar was called 'traitor' in dressing room after signing new contract under Bartomeu - Reports
According to reports, Barcelona defender Gerard Pique was once labeled a 'traitor' by his teammates after signing a new contract under former club-president Josep Maria Bartomeu.
The 35-year-old is currently encountering a difficult period at Barca, with the defender having been accused of corruption along with RFEF president Luis Rubiales.
On the field, he has been dealing with injuries that have led to him having less of an impact on the Barcelona side.
But the latest report to hit the headlines over Pique is one that only further vilifies the Barca centre-back.
According to ABC (via Mundo Deportivo), Pique was once called a 'traitor' in the Nou Camp dressing room.
It occurred two years ago when the Spaniard had just signed a new deal with then Barca president Bartomeu, keeping him at the Catalan giants until 2024.
Pique's new contract gave him an astronomical pay-rise of €41 million in the last year plus variables.
His Barcelona teammates responded with anger as Bartomeu would then demand that veteran players take pay-cuts in order to help deal with the financial burden of COVID-19.
Pique would then be branded a 'TRAITOR' with the words being written on a blackboard in the Nou Camp dressing room.
Two years ago, Piqué renewed his contract with Bartomeu with a salary hike that could be paid in installments. The team found out about the raise, and when he entered the dressing room, "TRAITOR" was written on the board, likely addressed at him.
— @abc_es https://t.co/7Ldg5asTUC
Barcelona's Gerard Pique reportedly has a frosty relationship with Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi left Barcelona for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) last summer in a move that broke Barca fans' hearts across the globe.
The legendary forward had to depart due to financial constraints on the club, meaning they were unable to match his wages.
But according to El Pais (via Daily Mail) Pique played a major role in Messi's departure from the Nou Camp.
[Book: Glory to Hell] - Messi hates Pique more than he hates Bartomeu. One of the reasons Messi hates Pique is that the Pique reduced his salary when Messi left and did not reduce it before. @SiqueRodriguez @AdriaSoldevila @sergiescudero 🛑
📚 [Book: Glory to Hell] - Messi hates Pique more than he hates Bartomeu. One of the reasons Messi hates Pique is that the Pique reduced his salary when Messi left and did not reduce it before. @SiqueRodriguez @AdriaSoldevila @sergiescudero 🛑🇦🇷🇪🇸
The Spanish defender reportedly told the club not to renew the Argentinian forward's contract.
When Messi left, Pique spoke of how saddened he was to see the 34-year-old leave the club where they had been together since the ages of 14.
But there has been hostility between the pair for a considerable amount of time. So much so that Pique wasn't invited to the PSG forward's Barcelona reunion with his former teammates.
In January, Messi and fellow Barca veterans Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba were snapped at a dinner together.
Pique was not at the gathering and according to SPORT this is because the Argentine didn't want him there.