Laporta speaks after Pique announces retirement: “Gerard is part of the Barcelona badge”

On Thursday night, Gerard Pique dropped a bombshell by announcing his retirement. The Barcelona defender confirmed that he will be hanging up his boots after the team’s upcoming home game against UD Almeria in La Liga.

The decision came as a huge shock for the fans, but one person who had been in the know-how about such a development was club president Joan Laporta.

After Pique’s announcement, the Barcelona supremo spoke to the club media, confirming that the discussions about a retirement had been taking place for a while now and the talks had only intensified recently.

“We have been discussing Pique’s retirement for a while, and recently the thinking intensified. We decided to leave the final decision in his hands. We respect and share the decision. He will remain a reference for the club,” he said.

Paying tribute to the legendary defender, Laporta added: “Gerard has achieved everything for the club. He spent 25 years here, he’s been a Culé from a young age. It was an honour to have him play for Barcelona.”

“Gerard is part of the Barça badge,” he insisted.

On whether Pique’s retirement was to help the club financially, Laporta said: “Pique has always been willing to help the club economically.

“The agreement to terminate Gerard’s contract is advanced. He expressed his desire to help the club. He knows about our difficult financial fair play situation, and there need to be some adjustments.”

Source: BarçaTV+

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