Barcelona centre-back Gerard Pique revealed that he would not join Pep Guardiola at Manchester City if his former manager targets him. The reason? He loves his former club and derby rivals Manchester United too much.
Pique had moved to United in 2004 when he was still a teenager and played under Sir Alex Ferguson for four seasons, mainly in the reserves. He was sparingly used in the senior team, having made only 23 appearances in all competitions.
“When I was 17 or 18 at Manchester United, I didn't play often and it really affected me,” Pique said. “I didn't understand why I couldn't play more minutes.
That was before Guardiola took over at Barcelona and made the defender a priority signing. Pique eventually moved back to his boyhood club after they paid the Red Devils £5m to sign him.
Since then, he has been part of one of the most successful sides in the history of football, winning trophies at the Camp Nou under many managers. With Guardiola alone he won 14 trophies, including two Champions League titles in the 2008/09 and 2010/11 seasons.
“In the good times, when I arrived at Barcelona at 21, I won every trophy – the treble, six cups, and thought I was a superstar. But, with time, you realise you have bad times like everyone else and you need to get up.”
Guardiola announced at the start of the month that he was set to leave Bayern Munich at the end of the season and take over from Manuel Pellegrini at Manchester City. Since the announcement, a number of his former players have been linked with a move to City, most notably players from the Catalan club.
Manchester United are my second club: Pique
When he was asked whether he would make the switch to the Etihad to play under Guardiola again, Pique said a reunion at City was impossible.
“My love for Manchester United is too great for me to sign for City,” Pique said. “Even though Pep is a great coach.
“I’m very happy in Barcelona. United are my second club, but my future is at Barca. I’m very proud to play at Barcelona. I think it’s the best club in the world.
Having made close to 400 appearances for Barcelona, Pique also said he was open to playing in a different league before he retired. He also hinted at a possible move to Colombia – the country where his wife and singer Shakira was born.
“I would like to try a different league when I’ve got a few years to go before retiring,” he explained. “I don’t know if it will be Colombia, I’d like that for Shakira, but nobody can predict the future.”
