Gerard Pique

Been a huge critic of him but have to say that he has been immense this season.Had a couple of poor games but other than that been a rock.Played well all 3 games against Atletico and against the fodder too.Perhaps the competition with Mathieu has motivated him to play well again.

Shakira gave birth to their second son Sasha Pique.

Another goal.Having a fantastic season and playing at his best.
Him and Mathieu is a rock solid partnership.No idea why LE continues to play Masch.

Because of rotation (if Pique goes back to thinking he is an unchallenged starter his form will slump again) and Mathieu is not very consistent.

To be fair today's goal was more luck but I'm very happy to see us be a threat at dead balls again, or on the very least be somewhat threatening.

I dont agree that Mathieu is inconsistent.He had a couple of shaky games at LB but at CB,he has been rock solid imo.
Cant think of any bad games from him at CB.

great season so far... hope he keeps it up

'I'll retire at Barca. I don't know when - the older I am, the better. I'm sure about that; I can't see myself wearing any other shirt,' he told Marca.

'If I see that next year I'm not up to scratch, I'll hang my boots up at 29 years of age. I don't associate this sport with anything except Barcelona.'

'There comes a point when you realise that you're storming forward, that you can beat anyone and this is what has ended up winning us the league and putting us in two finals,' he added.

'Now we mustn't stop; we have to win the two matches that are left and make it a perfect season.'

He has earned enough respect this season to have a normal title

BC this time next season:

Do we believe him? That he will retire when he isnt wanted any more?

I just cant see him being great at 34 years old...I have to question if he has it in him to stay great for that long. If at 29 he is no longer cutting it..would he really quit? Makes me question how much he really loves football honestly. I understand his love for Barca obviously, but still.

doubt he really meant it. he talks way too much emotional. would not be surprised if he does not even know what he just have said.

This was certainly his best season since probably 10/11. And it doesn't surprise me that he magically focuses again once his buddy Flopregas is out of the country. But even in his best season he was SHIT until new year. Remember he got benched and Mascherano-Mathieu was the starting duo for a while at the beginning of the season and how he stunk up the place in the first Clasico. Took a while to get back to a proper level, the Clasico in Camp Nou probably his season highlight, with some little lows here and there (Sevilla away). I'd rate his season 7.5/10 at best I think. I'm still a little annoyed he can't play an ENTIRE season consistently on proper world class level. Sometimes he doesn't ooze confidence even when in form. Example Bayern in Camp Nou. Imprecise cross from the right flank where it looks like Pique is easily going to intercept it but somehow he miskicks and it leads to a half chance. Maybe you'll remember the scene, sometime in the first half, opening 20 minutes I think. But I won't complain. About as good as it gets if he keeps playing like this for a Barca defender in this era of defenders I suppose.

Apparently, he was jeered every time he touched the ball in Spain's training by the attending fans because of the dig he took at Ronaldo and Madrid during the treble celebrations.


EDIT: found a vid

Resacoso (hungover) Never heard that used as an insult before

Spain = Madrid confirmed.

free_cat wrote:Spain = Madrid confirmed.

Surely this isn't surprising. I don't know about you Free but I have a Catalan mate that says that he is not Spanish lol. Pique did also say we won your (to adrid in tunnel) league now we will win your cup iirc in 2011. He (friend) compared Spain to Great Britain and Catalonia to Scotland. What is your sentiment Free?

jibers wrote:

free_cat wrote:Spain = Madrid confirmed.

Surely this isn't surprising. I don't know about you Free but I have a Catalan mate that says that he is not Spanish lol. Pique did also say we won your (to adrid in tunnel) league now we will win your cup iirc in 2011. He (friend) compared Spain to Great Britain and Catalonia to Scotland. What is your sentiment Free?

I thought it was widely known I'm independentist. Even my nickname is a reference to that (Free Catalonia). We are living exciting times in this regards as for the first time in the last decades there seems to be a social majority in Catalonia in favour of independence, and if we are determined enough, and can keep this majority for enough time, we have a chance to get it.

What I meant with my post is that this was another proof that Spain's national team and Madrid have the same supporters and values, and that the rest of spain (except Catalonia, basque country and Andalucia), Madrid is everyone's team.

free_cat wrote:

jibers wrote:

free_cat wrote:Spain = Madrid confirmed.

Surely this isn't surprising. I don't know about you Free but I have a Catalan mate that says that he is not Spanish lol. Pique did also say we won your (to adrid in tunnel) league now we will win your cup iirc in 2011. He (friend) compared Spain to Great Britain and Catalonia to Scotland. What is your sentiment Free?

I thought it was widely known I'm independentist. Even my nickname is a reference to that (Free Catalonia). We are living exciting times in this regards as for the first time in the last decades there seems to be a social majority in Catalonia in favour of independence, and if we are determined enough, and can keep this majority for enough time, we have a chance to get it.

What I meant with my post is that this was another proof that Spain's national team and Madrid have the same supporters and values, and that the rest of spain (except Catalonia, basque country and Andalucia), Madrid is everyone's team.

He has exactly the same sentiment. When Spain won the WC he said Catalonia won it

It would be interesting to see what the future holds. Another thing he said is that the money gotten from Catalonian region is distributed elsewhere in Spain and you guys get unequal shares relative to how much is taken out. I wonder what the ramifications will be for La Liga in general.

Even if Catalonia gain independence, I'm pretty sure they would remain in La Liga like Monaco did with Ligue 1. Just not enough teams to make a league by itself, and would be allot of shit to transfer over to Ligue 1, just don't see it happening.

Would be interesting to see the Catalonia NT though, and see how far they can get. I think they could get to the Euro's and possibly into the knock out stages. They have a great crop of players

Pique legend! I loved that dig at Ronaldo/Madrid. They so butthurt now...

I think Pique is the last person to care about getting whistled or whatever lol

i don't normally post here, frankly it makes my skin crawl, but had too since that dig hasn't received much attention. i liked the dig, and i hope rafa plays the video continuously for the players as the season goes on....when you lose all your cojones in big games that make a season, and your rivals win it all, you need a good kick up the backside....if the rivals celebrating trophies isn't motivation enough, then hopefully pique's words can do the trick. i know plans had already been made, but that birthday party came at the wrong time. i remember ronaldo (the original) through some lavish wedding party flying all his teammates to somewhere in france, for a marriage that never existed (by that i mean they broke up not long after)....heard raul was pissed off about the wedding party, considering we were messing up in the league

BarrileteCosmico wrote:Resacoso (hungover) Never heard that used as an insult before

He got booed so hard at the Costa Rica friendly tonight. It's hilarious

dont think there are enough reasons for Spanish fans booing a Spanish player for digging at a foreign player rightfully...

Yea, that's just straight up ridiculous. Pique is a SPANISH World cup CHAMPION. Good lord, talk about some butt hurt fans