What’s the story?
Gerard Pique recently hit out at Real Madrid and the influence that a few higher ups at the club have, which has opened a can of worms. The Barcelona defender called into question the club’s values along with some of the decisions made against both Real Madrid and Barcelona stars.
However, in an attempt to salvage Real Madrid’s reputation, the Madrid legal department will examine the defender’s comments.
Pique opened up about the club after Spain’s 2-0 win over France on Tuesday night, saying, “I would never work for them. I have said many times, the thing I don't like about Madrid are the values. I have huge appreciation for the players but what I don't like about Madrid is when you see the people that they have in the director’s box and how they manipulate things in this country.”
However, Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos disagreed with his Spanish compatriot’s comments, saying, “What Pique says won't change the values, our badge, our history or our titles. What he says will provoke headlines and sell newspapers but we live off of that. If anything, they [Barcelona] should in general, have more to be quiet about than we do.”
In case you didn’t know...
Pique’s relationship with his Spanish captain Ramos has been on the rocks this season, with the pair getting into heated arguments regularly on Twitter and even during press conferences.
The 30-year-old defender did not stop with accusations at the club but also took a swing at former Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho in reference to the Manchester United boss’ famous sheet of refereeing mistakes made against Real Madrid.
The heart of the matter
A war between Real Madrid and Barcelona is always fun to watch, and Pique reignited it with his comments after Spain’s win over France. The defender has subtly claimed that Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has used his powerful position at the club to obtain diverse favours and even questioned why both Messi and Neymar face allegations – referring to their legal battles.
Pique went on to question why Ramos’s goal in the Champions League final last season was not examined despite the fact that it was from what he thinks was an offside position.
What’s next?
Now, in an attempt to clear Perez’s name and preserve the club’s reputation, the Madrid legal department will thoroughly examine the defender’s claims and then decide if action should be taken against the Spaniard.
Author’s Take
With Neymar facing potential charges of fraud over his transfer to Camp Nou and Messi now banned for four competitive international games by FIFA, the last thing Barcelona need is their main central defender under the axe for defamation.
It will also be interesting to see the battle between the two clubs when they meet each other for the second Clasico of the season in April, in what could be a title-decider.
