"Don't pay attention to the news coming out, he is a good person" - Joan Laporta says Barcelona captain Gerard Pique is 'suffering' 

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has come out in support of club veteran Gerard Pique following the Spaniard's separation with long-time partner Shakira.

The defender has been in the news lately after his public breakup with the pop singer, which came about because he allegedly cheated on her.

Joan Laporta, however, stood up for the club captain and implored the fans to empathize with the player, saying (via Sport):

“Pique is suffering. For all the money and fame you can have, they [footballers] are people. He is a captain and he still has much to give. Gerard is committed.”

“He deserves the love of the cules. Don’t pay attention to the news that’s coming out, he is a good person.”

The star defender remains one of Barcelona’s best players and one of the few remaining members of the all-conquering Catalan side from about a decade ago.

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Gerard Pique could leave Barcelona this summer

According to a report from Mundo Deportivo, the Blaugrana manager Xavi Hernandez does not have the 35-year-old defender in his plans for next season. This has raised questions about the defender's future at Camp Nou, even though he still has a couple of years left on his contract.

It is believed that both parties had a meeting a few weeks ago, and the manager reportedly informed the defender that he would have little game time next season. This decision was said to be due to the star's 'repeated injuries' and 'permanent distractions'.

The 35-year-old is also the highest-paid player at Camp Nou, and so offloading the World Cup winner might be a slight relief for Barcelona amidst their financial struggles.

However, the club captain is not interested in leaving Camp Nou and is believed to have expressed that desire to the manager. Instead, he wants to fight for a spot in the first-team next season.

Barcelona look to be headed in another direction with their ongoing rebuild, and as such, their focus will be on bringing in younger players. The club are reportedly making plans to sign Andreas Christensen from Chelsea, and are also gunning for Sevilla centre-back Jules Kounde.