Gerard Pique is a Barcelone legend, having performed in one of the vital profitable durations within the membership’s historical past.
The previous Spain worldwide performed alongside Camp Nou legends like Lionel Messi, Andre Iniesta and Xavi and gained a unprecedented quantity of trophies as a part of a dominant Barça facet within the 2010s.
Nevertheless, in November 2022 Pique introduced his departure from his boyhood membership that he briefly left for Manchester United early in his profession earlier than swiftly returning.
Pique did not seem for Barcelona’s senior facet earlier than transferring to England with Manchester United. He solely made 23 appearances throughout 4 seasons with the Crimson Devils, spending one season on mortgage at Actual Zaragoza in 2006/07.
In 2008 he returned to Camp Nou and was quickly a primary staff common throughout an excellent treble-winning season. Pique would begin within the Champions League ultimate in opposition to United alongside Yaya Toure in central defence as targets from Samuel Eto’o and Lionel Messi earned them a 2-0 victory in Rome.
Barça would win 5 of the subsequent seven accessible La Liga titles, with one other two UCL triumphs coming in 2010/11 and 2014/15.
Pique additionally usually lifted the Copa del Rey trophy, being on the profitable facet seven occasions – the latest of which got here in 2020/21.
A serial trophy winner with Barça, Pique additionally loved success on the worldwide stage with Spain.
After making his debut in 2009, the centre again was a part of the Roja squad that gained the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Pique performed each single minute as Spain recovered from a gap loss to Switzerland to concede simply as soon as of their remaining video games to win the event.
Spain have been extensively considered the perfect worldwide staff throughout the early 2010s, a status they backed up at Euro 2012 with a dominant exhibiting. France, Portugal and eventually Italy have been slain as Spain’s all-star lineup gained the Henri Delaunay Trophy.
Nevertheless, the rest of the 2010s have been disappointing for Pique at worldwide degree. Spain have been surprisingly knocked out of the 2014 World Cup on the group stage and at Euro 2016 their title defence was ended by Italy within the final 16.
He retired from Spain obligation in 2018 after that yr’s World Cup, the place they have been knocked by hosts Russia in a penalty shootout. The defender made 102 appearances at worldwide degree, scoring 5 targets.
