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Gerard Pique has been featured in the news constantly this season. The Barcelona defender has been in the spotlight because of his banter with rivals Real Madrid and its players, and most recently when he provoked Espanyol supporters. The Spaniard has never been far away from controversy during his illustrious career with the Catalans so far.Over the years, the central defender has both sparked a row with his nasty comments on rivals and their players as well as won hearts of his teammates and fans with appreciation.We look at such instances when Pique has attracted criticism and love.
#1 Pique\'s friendship with Cesc Fabregas goes a long way
Cesc Fabregas and Gerard Pique go a long way back to when the two were at the Barcelona youth academy La Masia during their teenage years. But the first time the two met in a game was at Old Trafford in 2008 when Fabregas played for Arsenal and the defender for Manchester United. Before the game Pique called Fabregas “a genius”.
Pique’s following comments about his countryman were much appreciated in the Spanish press at that time.
“We have been very good friends since we were very young so it will be a great feeling to play against him in a match that is like a final for both teams. Cesc has always shown a lot of talent and is a genius with the ball.”
#2 Gerard Pique called Puyol his guardian angel
Gerard Pique arrived at Barcelona in 2008 after having played four seasons at Manchester United and was placed at the heart of the Blaugrana defence alongside the great Carles Puyol. Pique has always spoken very highly and fondly of his partner in defence.
The two defenders led Barcelona to two Champions League titles, four La Liga titles and the 2010 World Cup for the Spanish national team. Pique maintained that Puyol always got the best out of him when the former was lacking in motivation during their playing time.
So when in March 2014, after having played for Barca for almost 20 years, when the Spanish great finally called time on his glittering Barcelona career, Pique wrote a letter on his Facebook page. In that post, he called his fellow Spaniard his guardian angel.
"The day has arrived. You are leaving. It’s the law of life, but it is tough for me to imagine Barça without you. If I look back and remember Paris or Rome, the first image that comes to my mind is you lifting the European Cup.
“I met you 6 years ago. You were the captain and the emblem of the team and I was just a kid arriving, set on conquering the world. From day one we had a great relationship, both on and off the field. By your side I felt protected and I knew that if one day I made a mistake you’d always be there to save me.
“You were my guardian angel. Thanks for everything, Puyi.”
#3 Gerard Pique knows how to troll Ronaldo and co.
Last season, Barcelona had won everything that they could and while celebrating their victorious season inside the Camp Nou, Pique took aim at Real Madrid and Cristiano Ronaldo when the Spaniard mentioned Colombian singer Kevin Roldan. The singer had performed at Ronaldo’s 30th birthday party just hours after Real had lost to city rivals Atletico, which effectively meant they lost the league to Barca in February itself.
This statement was well received by the fans inside the stadium who laughed at the jibe but the opposing Real Madrid supporters did not like it. Kevin Roldan had become an enemy of the All Whites’ fans because of the celebration even though their team lost. But the singer was thanked by Barca’s Pique.
“Thank you to all the staff for your help. and thanks Kevin Roldan! It all started with you!”
#4 Pique has a knack of getting booed, even by his own countrymen
When the 28-year old defender had mentioned the singer at Ronaldo’s birthday celebration after Real lost 4-0 to Atletico on the same day, this had angered their fans and players alike. The jibe at Real meant that when the defender later on went to play for his national team, he was booed by fans during training as well as during their 2-1 win over Costa Rica which was at the Bernabeu.
The whistling quite obviously came from the Real Madrid supporters. So when asked about the whistling and booing by the fans, Pique replied in his typical tone:
“I don't care, I've just won the treble!”
#5 Gerard Pique still swears in English
Gerard Pique’s obsession with Real Madrid does not end here. When Barcelona beat Sevilla 5-4 after extra time to lift the UEFA Super Cup at the start of the 2015/16 season, Pique was heard mentioning Madrid’s name when he started celebrating the hard-fought victory.
The defender used swear words which were aimed at Madrid, and possibly Real. Los Blancos fans and media alike did not like the fashion in which the experienced defender celebrated referring to his rivals.
He was heard screaming by a Spanish local television team: “Come on lads, let's celebrate! Madrid can f**k themselves. Let them see us turn this round!”
#6 One tweet without a single word went viral
The Spanish defender’s popularity was proved when he tweeted tweet with only emojis after Real Madrid had fielded an ineligible player in the form of Denis Cheryshev in the Copa del Rey in early December this season. It meant that Madrid were thrown out of the competition by the Spanish FA and were fined.
But the tweet went down well with his Barca fans as it was retweeted more than a 100,000 times, and he himself wondered if it was a new record for a tweet without any words.
#7 Gerard Pique verbal duels with Madrid have no ending
Gerard Pique was the subject of criticism after his emoji tweet after Real’s Copa del Rey blunder. But Real’s Alvaro Arbeloa replied by saying, “My friend Pique is obsessed with Real Madrid” and expects to see him at “a comedy club”.
To this, the Barca man gave an ill-mannered reply which was not taken up well by former greats and pundits. Pique called Arbeloa an “un cono...cido” – a remark which translates as “an acquaintance” whilst also making clear reference to the derogatory term "cono".
“It was one more tweet. I heard Arbeloa called me a friend. I don't consider him a friend.”
#8 Pique dig at derby rivals Espanyol\'s small crowds
Just recently, Pique was at it again. Espanyol held Barcelona to a goalless draw in La Liga at home where just 28,975 fans filled the 40,500-capacity Estadio Cornella-El Prat. A week later, Barcelona demolished their derby rivals 4-1 at the Camp Nou in the first leg of the Copa del Rey Round of 16 where 76,667 supporters were in attendance.
The game was feisty where two Espanyol players were sent off, Lionel Messi was allegedly stamped on by Espanyol’s goalkeeper and Luis Suarez was suspended for the next two games following his altercation in the tunnel. Hence, before the second leg, Gerard Pique decided to stir up trouble.
The Spanish international remarked at a press conference: “They call themselves the 'marvelous minority,' and they're in such a minority that they can't even fill their ground. Let's see whether they manage to fill it for the return leg, because the other day it wasn't full.”
#9 Pique always wants Real to lose
Pique’s obsession with Real Madrid never seems to die. The former Manchester United defender has had a history of heated exchanges during El Clasicos he has featured in. Both before a game or after, the defender has not passed any opportunity to comment on his Spanish rivals.
Even though Pique has a lot of friends in the Madrid lineup, he is always seen criticising and making fun of the Galacticos. Cristiano Ronaldo, Iker Casillas, Sergio Ramos, have all shared the dressing room with the Barcelona man. But it does not stop Pique from commenting on their team.
He was heard during a press conference explaining why he keeps taking a jibe at Real and its players.
“I'm not sorry for anything, I would do this (commenting on Real Madrid) one and a thousand times because I am like this. I want Madrid to lose, always, and this is the rivalry that always exists in Spain. I'm not going to ask for forgiveness.
“I'm not worried about the whistles, I'm more worried for my teammates and the coach (Del Bosque) because I know he doesn't like all of this. I have always had maximum commitment to the Spanish national team. Regarding the rivalry between Barcelona and Madrid, I am like this and I will not change.”
#10 How can Gerard Pique not say anything nice about Messi?
Most fans would agree that Gerard Pique’s fortunes smiled on him when he left Manchester United for Barcelona. Since then, the defender has won 26 trophies in total with Barcelona and Spain. He met the Colombian singer Shakira and now has two children with her.
But the fans would feel that the reason why the defender is so lucky is because he gets to see, play and celebrate along with five-time winner of the Ballon d’Or, and quite possibly the greatest football player the world has ever seen – Lionel Messi.
So as a teammate, you are expected to say nice things about him and that is what Pique does.
“Leo is an example of a La Masia player, technically he is unbelievable. It doesn’t matter where Messi plays, if it’s cold or hot, he always proves that he is the best.
“He simply goes one way with his body and another with the ball. You have to either guess right or foul him.”
