He is one of the few survivors of this Barça which shook Europe. With Sergio Busquets, Gérard Piqué is the ultimate heir to this golden generation of FC Barcelona coached by Pep Guardiola, that of Manita, the 2009 and 2011 Champions League. At 35, the central defender who passed through Manchester United is attacking his fifteenth season in the Catalans’ jersey, and it could well be the most difficult. Far from being flawless last year, the right-hander is bearing the brunt of the effects of age, and his performance is constantly being called into question. Above all, this summer, his club has greatly strengthened his position.
Pique, fifth choice?
Indeed, Andreas Christensen and Jules Koundé arrived, while Eric Garcia and Ronald Araujo were already there. And according to the daily news Sport, these four men appear in front of the hierarchy that will put in place Xavi Hernandez. Gérard Piqué would therefore find himself in fifth position in the mind of his coach. Moreover, he finds himself in a delicate situation vis-à-vis his management. Indeed, as revealed by the Catalan media macaw, he had accepted several salary deferrals at the height of the Covid-19 crisis, but also to help complete various recruits (Memphis Depay, Eric Garcia). In total, it is 52 million euros that have not been paid to him. 70% of his salary was deferred. The management had then at the time reached an agreement with the player to pay him this during the 2022-2023 financial year which is about to begin. And given the latest colossal expenses of Joan Laporta (nearly 150 million on the transfer window), this could prove difficult.
to summarize
Gérard Pique, Barça’s central defender, only appears as Xavi Hernandez’s fifth choice for this season behind Frenchman Jules Koundé, Eric Garcia, Ronald Araujo as well as Dane Andreas Christensen.
