End of an era: Pique retires as Barcelona bid farewell to legendary defender
Suraj Radia
- 4 Nov 2022 08:00 GMT
- 5 min read
Gerard Pique will retire from football after an illustrious career spanning nearly two decades and 35 trophies for club and country, making him one of the most decorated and renowned defenders of all time.
The 35-year-old announced his decision on social media, with his final game set to be at the Nou Camp when Barcelona host Almeria this weekend in their last home game before the World Cup break.
Pique calls time on his career having played more than 600 games for Barcelona and earning 102 caps for Spain, as well as a host of individual trophies including being named in the UEFA Team of the Year on five occasions.
ONE LAST GIFT: Pique leaves Barca with a final gesture before retirement
A giant defender with composure and quality on the ball and at the heart of some of the greatest teams ever, a look back at Pique’s career shows just why he will go down as a true legend of the game.
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Boyhood beginnings and breaking the mould in England
Despite being born and raised in Barcelona and joining the La Masia academy aged ten, Pique began his professional career at Manchester United after joining them as a 17-year-old in 2004.
It was at United where he pivoted from a defensive midfielder to a centre-back, developing under the tutelage of Sir Alex Ferguson, as well as elite defenders such as Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic, and impressing in a handful of cup games.
Pique made nine of his 12 Premier League appearances in his final season, also earning medals as United won the league, the Community Shield and the Champions League before making a return to Barcelona in 2008.
A historic homecoming
One of the first signings of the Pep Guardiola era, Pique instantly slotted into the Barcelona defence next to captain Carles Puyol, the titan who he would forge a commanding long-term partnership with for club and country, while also winning the La Liga Breakthrough Player of the Year award.
Barcelona delivered the first treble in Spanish football history in Guardiola’s debut season, with Pique netting in his side’s last win of the league season, a resounding 6-2 victory away to rivals Real Madrid and featuring against United, condemning his former side to defeat in the Champions League final.
The treble began a dominant spell at the top for Barcelona as Guardiola’s side, led by Lionel Messi, became arguably the greatest team of the century, completing an unprecedented sextuple by claiming the Club World Championship in 2009.
Established among the elite
By the end of the 2009/10 season, Pique had won all but two trophies that he had competed for since rejoining Barcelona, and he followed his winning trend by helping Spain lift the 2010 World Cup, having only been called up for the first time the previous year.
Such was Barcelona’s dominance that the following two seasons brought seven more titles including a third-straight La Liga win as well as their second Champions League trophy in three years.
Pique won another international title with Spain, claiming the European Championship, but things changed at Barcelona as Guardiola stepped down and a new dawn began.
Post Pep and the Enrique Era
Barcelona, by their standards, suffered a small decline after Guardiola’s departure, winning ‘just’ two trophies in two years before Luis Enrique took over in 2014.
Enrique’s arrival brought back the good times, with Barca claiming another treble being led by the prolific, free-scoring front three of Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar.
By this point, Pique had comfortably secured his reputation as one of the top defenders in the world, not even flinching from the retirement of Puyol and helping Barca return to their dominant best.
The beginning of the end
Barca won a total of nine titles in three years under Enrique before Ernesto Valverde’s arrival in 2017, and although his tenure brought four more trophies, Pique’s reign at the top was slowly ending.
The arrival of Quique Setien in 2020 saw Barca go trophyless for the first time in Pique’s time there and the once reliable defender was slowly picking up injuries and displaying inconsistency which drew criticism from fans.
Barca also began to suffer a host of financial issues, ironically in part due to the eyewatering contract given to Pique around the time, which made him the highest paid player in the world even if he was starting to lose the tag of being the best defender around.
Financial damage and calling it quits
Barcelona’s financial issues saw Messi’s shock departure in 2021 and led to issues between Pique and the board, who were desperate for the new vice-captain to take a significant payout.
Although Pique obliged, he found himself slowly being phased out of the team due to his injury issues and only made 45 appearances in his final two seasons under the coaching of former teammate Xavi.
And now, 18 years since beginning his professional career at United, Pique draws the curtain down on his iconic career, waiving the wages owed to him in his contract and establishing himself as a true Spanish and Catalan legend.
