Gerard Pique on politics, Barcelona and Neymar
Barca firebrand feels a duty to stand firm amid tensions in Catalonia, he tells Sam Wallace
In the age of the footballer as a global superstar, there are very few who choose to make life more complicated for themselves by offering up their political opinion, but then Gerard Pique could always say that his life has been that bit different to the rest.
At Barcelona, he has won it all – three Champions Leagues, six Spanish league titles – and with Spain a World Cup, and a European championship, having flourished on his return in 2008 from four transformative years at Manchester United. Now 30, he is part of the most glittering era in the history of Barcelona and the Spain national team, married to the Colombian singer Shakira and one of the most prominent Catalans in this turbulent time for the region.
It was Pique who was closely associated with the separatist movement in Catalonia as an advocate of holding the October referendum, although he has never revealed which way he voted. In the tense aftermath of the vote, he defended his position at a Spain press conference following calls for him to quit the national team. Pique’s point was that playing for Spain has never been incompatible with supporting independence, and he is adamant there is a political solution to the division.
In January, he launches his “Pique +” series on The Players’ Tribune website, where he will interview footballers, including Lionel Messi and Neymar, and athletes from other sports. It would be fair to say that he has strong views on the media, and he sees his new platform as a place to talk about politics and sport. “Politics is a difficult thing to talk about because, like football, the views are radical,” he says in conversation with The
Daily Telegraph, “you think this way, that guy thinks the opposite way. It is like nearly a fight and feelings are very strong.”
Two months after the referendum and there are still Catalan politicians and activists in jail. President Carles Puigdemont remains in exile in Brussels. Pique is still a Spain international and Barcelona are top of the league, reasserting themselves over Real Madrid, eight points back in fourth, with the season’s first Clasico next Saturday. Speaking this week, Pique feels the situation is not at crisis point and there remains a political solution.
“It is not easy. I think that people outside of Spain think that things here are worse than what it is. I don’t think we are in a really bad situation. It is a political problem but I think it will be solved by talking, by politicians doing their job. There is no violence, no fighting. It is very calm, the same as one year ago.
“The only problem is that there are a lot of people here in Catalonia who want to separate from Spain and a lot of people who don’t want to. We are talking about 50-50, more or less, and that is why it is difficult. When you have so many people in different ways of thinking, it is difficult to arrive at a position where everyone would be happy. It is OK. If you explain yourself with respect and trying to explain why you feel that way, there is no problem at all.”
His Twitter timeline is a curious mix of the archetypal footballer’s training pictures and post-match celebrations, contrasting with videos from around the referendum of police aggression towards
Catalan voters, and opinions challenging the legitimacy of some media coverage. It was always a debate that was going to draw him in as a lifelong fan of the club, the grandson of a former Barcelona vice-president and one of Spain’s most successful footballers.
“I lived with this pressure since I was very young and I am 30 now, more than 10 years playing for Barcelona and being a professional. I know words sometimes have consequences but I try to choose the correct words every time. Sometimes, it is true that the truth hurts and, sometimes, people don’t want to hear it and they say you are wrong. At the end of the day, we are humans. It is right that people [in football] like Gary Lineker speak and say what they think. I know him personally and he is a great guy.”
Along with his friend Messi, Andres Iniesta and Sergio Busquets, Pique is part of the old guard who remain key to Barcelona. But it is a different Barcelona who will face Chelsea in the Champions League round of 16 in February, without Neymar, the £198million departure to Paris St-germain who is still, despite the acrimony of his move, a friend of Pique. “You try to do the best for your club and you also create relationships and friendships – with Neymar, my relationship is really strong,” Pique says.
“Even though it really hurt the club when he left. As a friend, I could understand his decision and why he wanted to go to Paris. As a Barcelona fan, it hurts and I understand that maybe some Barcelona fans are disappointed about how he left.
“But it is very difficult to find a player who stays at the same club for the whole of their career. They need more motivation, they want to fight for new things. I know Neymar wanted the Ballon d’or, so it is fair he left for Paris where he will be the main star. If he does a good job in the Champions League and in France, he has options to win the Ballon d’or.”
It is not PSG that Pique fancies in the final of the Champions League in Kiev in May, if Barcelona make it that far, but Manchester City, led by his old boss Pep Guardiola. It is clear that the bond with the manager with whom he won it all is strong indeed.
“For me, he [Guardiola] is one of the best coaches in the world. When I worked with him for four years at Barcelona, we won most of the titles playing different football, a new football that right now every team wants to play: having the ball and controlling the possession. Because, if you have the ball, you control the game. What he is doing at City this year is amazing. He is breaking all the records.
“I trust him a lot and last year I thought that he would win everything because I knew the potential Manchester City have with him as a coach. But it wasn’t possible and he needed that process to adapt to the country. Now you can see the players know what Pep wants and how he wants them to play.
“They are playing great football, they are strong favourites to win the Premier League. I hope they win the cup as well and, if we can play them in the Champions League final, that would be good.”
He has watched a lot of Chelsea and talks enthusiastically about their 3-4-3 system and his Spain team-mates there. “Every year is more difficult because clubs wants to beat us. It is a new chapter of our careers every year but this year we are doing things in a good way and we can win it again. The Champions League is really tough. It depends what shape you are in come February and March. You play two games and can be out the competition. You have to avoid having a bad day and you need a bit of luck because everything counts when the level is so similar.”
There is a lot of football yet to be played but he is undaunted by doing so against a political backdrop of change and uncertainty in Catalonia. “I am always trying to give my opinion. Sometimes I am criticised for what I say but I am not worried at all. I will not change. Every time they say something that is not fair or it is not true, I will say that.”