Gerard Pique has come good on his long-term promise to Barcelona after confirming his retirement from football – a decision that will reportedly save the club £46million.
Pique’s retirement announcement followed claims that the defender had a falling out with Barca boss Xavi over a lack of playing time and a leak of the player's contract at the club by Spanish media outlet El Mundo. The 35-year-old had 18 months remaining on his contract, which had been due to end in June 2024.
Veteran defender Pique has clocked up 615 first-team appearances for the Catalan club but has only started just five matches this season, which came due to injuries to other central defenders. The arrivals of Jules Kounde and Andreas Christensen this summer had pushed him down the pecking order, alongside the presence of Eric Garcia and Ronald Araujo.
