At the end of a meeting controlled from start to finish and won without firing a shot by Barça (2-0), Xavi, the Catalan coach, gave his former teammate an impressive standing ovation. In the 83rd minute, the whole Camp Nou stood up as one to cheer the 35-year-old defender who was playing his 15th season in the Blaugrana tunic.
He was then hugged by all his teammates present on the lawn and on the bench. All while experiencing all the trouble in the world to contain tears of emotion. Carried in triumph by all of his partners at the end of the meeting, he then seized the microphone to send various thanks. And to proclaim once again his love for Barça.
“Sometimes in life, to love is also to know how to leave. My love for Barça is so strong that I had to take a break. I am convinced that I will return. I was born here and I will die here,” he said. All under “President! President ! chanted by the 92,000 Catalan supporters. Pique then returned to the locker room on a guard of honor formed by his teammates.
Titles in spades but a delicate end of career
The image of Gerard Pique in the Barca shirt at Camp Nou is now part of the history books. However, he should play one last match on Tuesday evening on the Osasuna pitch (9:30 p.m.) before hanging up his crampons for good. He leaves behind him a remarkable track record of 30 trophies won with FC Barcelona but also three titles won with Manchester United, the club that saw him begin as a professional footballer. Without forgetting of course the World Cup won in 2010 with Spain and then Euro 2012 in stride.
In difficulty lately on the meadow, Gerard Piqué was inexorably approaching the end. For many months, he has been only a shadow of the formidable defender who made him a benchmark for the position on a planetary scale. All this while regularly making headlines between his divorce from singer Shakira and the disputed reform of the Davis Cup of tennis, of which he is the instigator. Insufficient, however, to arouse the resentment of a Barcelona public whose love for its emblematic defender has remained intact.