"It is impossible to doubt my commitment to Spain"

The Barcelona defender has been very outspoken in support of the independence referendum in Catalonia, declared illegal by the Spanish government, which took place last Sunday.

During his training session with 'La Roja' on Monday, Pique received abuse from fans attending the session, who were unhappy about his comments and believed he should not be able to represent the national team.

However, in the press conference ahead of Spain's World Cup qualifier against Albania, Pique was keen to explain his views on the controversial vote, in order to put the controversy behind him to focus on the footballing side of things.

"I never positioned myself on any side, all I said is people should vote, they can vote yes, no or spoil their ballot, whatever," he said.

"Being independentista and to feel Catalan does not mean you are anti-Spanish. It's not the case with me, but I think you can still be independentista and defend the Spanish shirt.

"Catalonia right now is like an 18-year-old that is considering leaving his parents' house. Spain and Catalonia would be weaker if Catalonia left, I still believe that."

The central defender also wanted to underline his unwavering commitment to the Spanish cause, amidst rumours that he was considering quitting the national team.

"It is impossible to question my commitment to Spain. I consider this a family and it is one of the reasons why I continue here.

"I have said it many times, I am very proud to be part of the Spanish selection and a group capable of winning all the titles here. I'm here to make myself clear and because the coach asked me to.

"I'll try to help the team in any way I can. We have to focus on trying to win three points against Albania. We would be almost qualified.

"I considered leaving but I thought about it deeply and decided if I did I would be letting the minority that boo me win."

There were also reports of an irreparable rift between Pique and Real Madrid and Spain captain Sergio Ramos, which the Barcelona defender was quick to deny.

"A lot of lies and cliches have been said about me and Ramos, we get on phenomenally well, we are very close. I've repeated it 20 times, we're even going to be partners in a business."