Mayra Madrigal
Gerard Piqué has been at the eye of the storm since the beginning of the month, when he announced his split from Colombian singer Shakira, which may have affected his sports career: according to the Sport newspaper, the coach of FC Barcelona, Xavi Hernández, notified the defender that he is no longer part of the team’s plans due to his unprofessional behavior.
In recent weeks, several rumors have circulated indicating that the split between Piqué and Shakira is due to the footballer’s infidelity towards the singer. Additionally, Spain’s tabloids have revealed that lately the #3 “culé” has gone out partying a lot, and that would be the reason for his physical deterioration, which has meant a notable drop in his performance.
The Sport published an article claiming that Xavi, as the institution’s strategist, is concerned about his former partner’s performance and has informed him that he is no longer in the plans. The major problem for the coach, according to the newspaper, is that the franchise owes Gerard Piqué 40 million euros and would have to pay him that amount if he were to leave, which is concerning given the financial state of the Catalan team.
Sport says that the sports director, Mateu Alemany, will try to convince Gerard Piqué to accept the amount they can offer him.
Other Spanish journalists have stated that the player has been asked to be committed to the team, and that he has said that he will help in whatever is necessary.
Xavi asks Gerard Piqué to be committed to the team
According to reports, Xavi’s talk with Piqué stems from the coach’s desire to build a young team, but more importantly, to have a new defense that can be constant and give him confidence, something Piqué, at 35 years old, cannot provide.
Piqué has played 602 games with the FC Barcelona shirt and is considered one of the best defenders. Additionaly, he has a contract with the Catalan institution until 2024, which was renewed as a result of the pandemic. He accepted salary reduction and deferral to help the club.
His departure is not viable due to economic factors, so it is very likely that he will remain in the squad, but the fact that he continues to be a “Blaugrana” will not guarantee him being on the field.
