ANYONE FOR TENNIS? YES, LIONEL MESSI!
Barca star joins pal Pique in Davis Cup venture
YOu could not accuse Gerard Pique of thinking small when it comes to his company Kosmos backing the Davis Cup.
It transpires that among his blue-chip and billionaire backers is Lionel Messi, his longtime friend and Barcelona team-mate.
In Madrid last night, Pique revealed the Argentine superstar’s involvement before the draw for this year’s inaugural finals week, when Great Britain, champions of 2015 under the old format, were drawn to face Kazakhstan and Holland.
Pique also explained his motives for his company’s 25-year deal to run the competition. It is among the more curious tie-ups that sport has seen, one this most decorated of footballers has somehow found time for while playing more minutes in Laa Liga this season than any other player. r.
‘Leo knows more than anyone ne about this because he is involved d in Kosmos,’ said Pique, dapper in a business suit with a handkerchief protruding from his breast pocket.
‘He is a partner, he is part of the Kosmos family, he likes tennis. We have a relationship of f 18 years since he arrived at the he club and I always try to share with him things I’m thinking. He wantedtd tto be part of it.’
Pique’s partner is Colombian pop star Shakira, with whom he has two children, and he admits that his Barcelona team-mates wonder how he fits everything in, while producing displays on the pitch that have been getting rave reviews.
‘They said to me they don’t understand how I’m doing all of this. Some of them don’t follow it but some of them know about it and they are pretty excited and want to come to Madrid. They are used to it with me.
‘I need to be busy, I cannot be lazy at home doing nothing, not training or having my mind occupied on different things. That’s the person I am. I don’t want to be distracted because I have another job, which is to play football. This helps me to be focused, more concentrated and not to make mistakes on the pitch, because otherwise I know there will be criticism.’ In his day job, Madrid is enemy territory for 32-year-old Pique, but this is the city where he is to launch the new Davis Cup in November featuring 18 teams competing in six groups. With the top players’ participation becomingg increasingly sketchy under the old forformat, a revamp was undoubtedly nee needed but there are still many who di disagree with the arrangement by which Kosmos is taking the lead role and pledging to invest £2.34billion over 25 years. A lifelong tennis fan, Pique has found himself at the sharp end of Roger Federer and Lleyton H Hewitt’s tongues, among others. Pe Personable and articulate, he is calm when responding to the critic criticisms, although pejorative descriptions of this as the ‘Pique Cup’ hit a raw nerve. ‘I hate it, because it’s not about me and I don’t want my name on the competition,’ he said. ‘Davis Cup history is so big. I hope we can change this opinion. After a few years I hope they go back and say, “We were wrong, the Davis Cup is more alive than ever”. ‘I can understand that when a footballer comes into the tennis world it can seem a little bit awkward or strange but I’m not going to be changing the rules of tennis. I understand that I’m the new one.’ While he has persuaded Nadal to play, he is yet to sit down with Federer. ‘I haven’t spoken to him personally, I will try because I think it’s necessary,’ said Pique. ‘I don’t know if he remembers but I met him in Basle about 10 years ago when Barcelona were playing there in the Champions League and he came in the dressing-room. He was my idol as a kid, it would be a pleasure.’