Messi ‘hates Pique more than Bartomeu’ over Barcelona departure
Robin Bairner
- Updated: 25 Apr 2022 19:24 BST
- 3 min read
Lionel Messi “hates” Gerard Pique for the manner in which the central defender acted at Barcelona around the Argentine’s departure to Paris Saint-Germain last summer.
Messi gave an emotion farewell to Barca following the Copa America when it became evident that the club was unable to renew his contract due to the salary cap they had been given.
PSG quickly swooped to sign the Argentine on a free transfer while Barcelona had to have several players reduce their salaries to allow summer signings Memphis Depay, Eric Garcia and Sergio Aguero be registered to play for the club.
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Pique was among those players to reduce their wages, leaving Messi feeling that the centre-back did not do enough to allow him to stay.
Although Messi harbours resentment against former president Josep Maria Bartomeu for his handling of the club’s finances, it is the Spain international defender who now angers the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner the most.
Why Messi ‘hates’ Pique
Sique Rodríguez, Adria Soldevila and Sergi Escudero, authors of the Barcelona book ‘From Glory to Hell’, explained to Infobae: “We say it in the book, that now Messi may hate Pique more than Bartomeu.
“They played together in youth football, but there are details such as Pique lowered his salary when Messi already left, and he didn’t lower it before. That could mean betrayal for Messi.
“In fact, president Joan Laporta thought it would be easier for several players to lower their salary to be able to pay Messi and it wasn't like that. But that’s normal: ‘Why am I going to lower my salary so that you give it to him?’
Pique arrived in the dressing room and the word ‘Judas’ is found on the blackboard
- 'From Glory to Hell'“When Bartomeu leaves, Pique is the first to lower his salary behind the rest of his team-mates and that causes quite a lot of tension, for example, with Messi. We tell in the book that one day Pique arrived in the dressing room and the word ‘Judas’ is found on the blackboard.
“It is also possible that Messi and Pique get along like this because they are stepping on hoses, because the Messi wants to get involved in representation for some time. His brother Rodrigo represented Barcelona B players, negotiated the renewal of Ansu Fati's contract the second time, and Pique is associated with Arturo Canales, who is one who is now quite involved in the subject. Surely there is some conflict of interest there.
“The truth is that when Messi came to Barcelona the other day, he had dinner with Sergio Busquets and with Alba, and Pique was not there.”
Messi has endured a difficult season at PSG, where he has scored three Ligue 1 goals this term.
