Gerard Piqué (34 years old) offered a very complete interview to his former partner, the Manchester United legend, Gary Neville, on Skybet’s “The Overlap” program, where he did not let any topic about his career and current affairs escape. For this reason, he showed his opinion about the Super League project, and warned: “It has become very political here in Spain.”
His time at United: “Ferguson was like a second father, not just a manager. He convinced me to go to United. I went to an English family, but the food was not the same, my English was not the best… I remember that one day we you made a game (talking to Neville) so that we had to say who was the best in the team and who was the worst. It was horrible, I don’t remember who I said. My time at United was not easy because with the defenders that were in that At that time, two of the best in the world (Ferdinand and Vidic), I knew it was not going to be easy. When I was 17 and I saw Roy Keane it scared me a little bit. I realized that he was a tough guy but a great captain”.
Young people today: “Now the relationship with young people is different, when six months have passed they are the best companions. It is different, it is not better or worse. I have always told young people that they have to enjoy life because in the end they can get stressed, injure … When I arrived, Puyol had never gone out to a party and he started going out. People began to recognize him, it’s hard not to recognize him by his hair, and after three days everyone said that Puyol was going out, so he didn’t want to go back to come out. He was a big influence on me and I think I was on him.”
Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona: “I asked Ferguson to let me go to Barcelona. I have always appreciated how he understood the players. When I arrived at Barcelona they were not very well: Ronaldinho and Deco had left, Eto’o was close to leaving… but we started to I remember that before the first Champions League final Guardiola gave us a summary video of the whole year with our relatives and I think it helped us because we left excited. United were about to score in the first few minutes”.
Guardiola-Mourinho: “It was very hard in Spain. I remember that the first time he came to the Camp Nou with Madrid, after winning the treble with Inter Milan, it was a reality clash and he lost 5-0. But it is true that on the wheels press was pressing every day and maybe for Guardiola it was too much for a certain time. It had nothing to do with football. At that time he destroyed in many ways how we saw football. Even the relationship with the players. Mourinho is at the head of the player and if he says that someone hates you, you believe him. I was going to say hello to Iker and he didn’t speak to me. We had to do an exercise between the Barcelona and Madrid players to reestablish ties, return to being a good dressing room and win the title. Guardiola left for many reasons, but I’m sure one of them was Mourinho”.
The figure of Lionel Messi: “Messi, by far, was the different one. At that time, we created an environment to win titles and Messi was key. The best player of all time for many years. We have mourned his departure, for us and for him. It would have been great if would have stayed to finish his career at Barcelona. But I can understand what he has gone through due to the economic situation of the previous presidency and how the club has managed it. For Barcelona and for the fans, who for them Messi is as if he were God, it would have been great if he stayed.”
The Super League: “It’s what happens when you manage the club poorly, with the impact of covid… but you need time and everyone’s effort. It has become something very political here in Spain. The press is controlled by different people who support the Superliga “It doesn’t look the same as in the UK, which I saw how people were against it. In my opinion, you destroy football because only the big ones benefit. I don’t think Madrid and Barcelona have played the right way in this. With this opinion I go against my club, but I fully understand the position of Barcelona, Madrid and Juventus. But for the fan I do not think it is the best way to do things. It is clear that the management in the Premier League it is the best and in Italy it is a little worse than in Spain. In Spain it has improved a little compared to the 90s”.
The audios with Rubiales: “The controversy has been a nightmare because here in Spain it is how it is, it is a cultural issue when you talk about so much money. Nobody paid attention to the Super Cup, it was similar to the Community Shield, but the Community Shield was full of people. It is proven which has been a success. I understand the people who don’t want it to be played in Saudi Arabia, but I don’t decide, it’s the Federation. I’ve always said that football and sport open up countries. In 1966, with Franco, they gave us the 1982 World Cup and Franco was a dictator. We have to give these people the opportunity.”