Posted: 08:43, November 4, 2022 | Updated: 09:48, November 4, 2022
Barcelona legend Gerard Pique has turned down an offer for a farewell press conference from club president Joan Laporta, according to reports.
The defender, who has made 615 appearances for the Catalan giants, announced his retirement from football on Thursday night.
Pique is set to play in Barcelona’s LaLiga clash with Almeria at the weekend at the Nou Camp before hanging up his boots.
Gerard Pique rejects Barcelona president Joan Laporta’s offer to say goodbye
The Spanish defender, 35, has won 30 trophies in his youth and also spent four years at Manchester United from 2004-2008.
And, according to Marca, Pique personally informed Laporta last week of his decision to retire, claiming it was in his and the club’s best interests.
Pique has come under pressure to leave as the club aim to shed his high wages, while he has played just nine times in all competitions this season, skipping Xavi’s turn at centre-back – even behind left-back Marcos Alonso who has been favored at times.
The president accepted Pique’s decision and wanted to reveal the news at a joint farewell press conference attended by the player and the club.
Pique has faced significant pressure to leave the cash-strapped club in recent years
However, he refused Joan Laporta’s (L) offer to hold a farewell press conference together
However, the defender rejected it and wanted to announce his departure in another way and revealed the news in a video shared on social media.
The report goes on to say that Pique’s decision was one he had been mulling over for some time.
It entered his mind when Xavi informed him in the summer that he would no longer be an important player at the club.
However, Pique was adamant he could turn it around and told the Barcelona boss he would earn his first team place despite the summer signings of defenders such as Jules Conte, Andreas Christensen and Alonso.
A big moment for the 35-year-old was Barcelona’s 3-3 draw with Inter Milan in the Champions League when he was heavily criticized for his performance.
Instead, Pique announced his decision in a video shared on his social media platforms
The departure of the veteran defender is expected to save the Catalan giants £44m
Pique knew he wasn’t performing well, but the level of criticism surprised him – he also knew the club themselves had promoted some of this slander coming his way in an attempt to force him out.
Now that he has announced his departure, Pique has lost significant money from the club, with his contract running until 2024.
In total, by announcing his departure, he has saved the club around £44 million. Pique has foregone cash for the Catalan giants in the past, taking pay cuts and deferring his salary in a bid to help the club – but Barcelona will pay him back what he owes in deferred payments so far.
For Pique, this is not seen as the end of his relationship with Barcelona, however, with the Spaniard keen to return to the Nou Camp as club president in the future.
