Barcelona: Pique reveals Xavi role in unexpected retirement

The club legend decided to hang his boots before the second half of the season.

Gerard Pique has revealed he had planned to leave Barcelona sooner but stayed due to the team’s injury crisis.

Last week, Pique announced his retirement with an unexpected video message on Twitter. Two days later, he made his 616th and last appearance for the club, ending a glorious spell as one of Barcelona‘s most decorated players ever.

Speaking to Twitch streamer Ibai Llanos, Pique explained his decision to retire mid-season.

“Why retire in November? There are many reasons. People already know that I started the season with a conversation with Xavi, who told me that it was going to be difficult for him to play,” Pique said.

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“The feelings from the beginning were not the best in general and I saw that the break was an opportunity to have that decision. I have always I said that when I was not important I would leave. If there had been no injuries in my position, I would have left before.”

“I no longer felt as I felt before. There was a day training at Camp Nou after a game in which I was about to say ‘I’m leaving now’. I saw that it was no longer my place. When [other players] started to get injured, I said ‘I can’t leave the team’. That’s why I set the break of the World Cup.”