Barcelona manager Xavi has opened up about the private conversations he had with Gerard Pique before the defender's retirement announcement.
Xavi and Pique were team-mates for club and country for a number of years, winning the Champions League together at Barca and featuring in Spain's World Cup and European Championships successes. While Xavi hung up his boots in 2019, Pique has remained part of the furniture at Camp Nou.
Not for much longer, though. The centre-back has confirmed he will retire from football after the upcoming league game against Almeria, and it has emerged that player and manager held talks about the 35-year-old's future during the summer.