Spain's Ramos and Lopetegui asked Pique to apologise for supporting Catalonia referendum

Outside the sporting arena, 2017 was a year that will go down in the history of Spanish politics. On 1 October, an electoral process took place in Catalonia calling for the independence of that community from the country. An event that also had an influence on the world of football. In fact, on the same day a La Liga match was played between Barcelona and Las Palmas. It was held behind closed doors.

It is not the first time that a footballer has spoken out on political issues. In fact, Gerard Pique himself already did so at the time, although he wanted to reopen the subject in an interview on ‘TV3’, in the programme ‘El Nou Clam’, where he revealed a curious conversation with Sergio Ramos and Julen Lopetegui, the day after the referendum, when he was with the Spanish national team.

"They told me: ‘Gerard, you have to apologise. You have taken a very pro-Catalonia stance'. And I replied: ‘Man, I think I have taken a stand on the right to vote, to be able to decide. I won't make any statement or ask for forgiveness'. And well, Julen Lopetegui, on a piece of paper, had already written me what I had to say", he revealed.

But the then Barcelona centre-back refused: "He told me: ’Besides, you have to give a press conference'. I got to the room, read the paper and threw it in the bin. I went downstairs and said: "If I have to do a press conference, I'll do it, but I'll do it my way. I will say what I think. But I won't ask for forgiveness, I can tell you that. And from then on, every time I went with the national team it was sh*t, whistles...’.

This is not Pique's first controversy with the national team, as he was the subject of whistles and criticism until he retired, something that was also considered to be due to such discrepancies in the national team. He denied this himself: "People who don't want to understand won't understand, but I explained it at the time. I resigned from the Spanish national team because it was the right time. The decision has been taken and I have no regrets. The Catalan national team only requires me to attend one day and be among friends. One thing has nothing to do with the other".

 

November 24, 2024