The iconic Barcelona center back, Gerard Piqué spoke in an interview with Nexes, in which he talked about his latest knee injury, on his businesses, his most important victories and much more.
After having led such a long and impressive career in one of the most elite levels of world football, certain questions have begun to arise in regards to what Gerard Piqué will do in the following years. There has been speculation that he will retire next season and it is no secret that he wants to become the President of FC Barcelona in the future. However, as of now, the defender is solely focused on the present.
This is what he had to say:
On his biggest achievements
“Any of the Champions, it’s the one that shines the most. Also the World Cup, because it had never happened. The 23 World Cup players will be remembered for having achieved it. Winning is very good, but what remains are the experiences. The trophies are important, but the important thing is the journey.”
On his biggest losses
“I’ve never been a person that goes into the locker room and throw everything on the floor. Maybe the game against Liverpool’, due to the result we had in the first leg of the Champions League. You are never ready for that.”
Regarding the balance of win-lose
“Winning is achieving something: a sports victory, a triumph in personal life. It may have cost you a lot or a little. You learn as you grow. As a child they teach you to compete and enjoy. You need to have a balance between winning and being happy. My father didn’t make me obsess over winning. In football he never told me that I had to do better or that I had to win. He was demanding, but he had no obligation to win. It is easier to know how to win than to lose. They teach us to respect everyone from a young age, but then we have to put it into practice. You need to have sportsmanship after a victory and a defeat. We have had painful defeats. One of the most is Liverpool. It’s hard. Some people break things … Sometimes you are not prepared. In general, in life, you lose more than you win. Defeat is part of life.”
Regarding the importance of knowing how to lose
“Sometimes, there are those who do anything to win and cross certain lines. I have come across many competitive players. Leo is one of them. There are people who have a bad time losing, and it is something innate. Each person is a world and we have to accept ourselves as we are.”
On the importance of having confidence
“Mood and confidence have a lot to do with it. The change is brutal in a player with a lot of confidence. Talent is essential to compete at the highest level, but there are other things too.”
Regarding the absence of fans during games
“For us it is vital to feel people. You compete for people. In this time of pandemic you realize that. Now it feels like training. It changes a lot.”
On the match against Real Madrid
“I’ll try to be ready against Real Madrid. I’ll take it day by day. I will try to get better as soon as possible, but not because of Real Madrid.”
Regarding Barcelona’s Presidential elections
“In these elections, I saw myself reflected. I have a lot of information from Barça and I wanted to see how they did it. It was a worthy fight. And I hope that Laporta fulfills the mandate. But I do not know, I do not know if in the future I will be president… I feel that I am still a footballer and I have a good time.”
On his business and ventures
“I always need challenges. I have not gone into business to make money. It is an incentive, but I prefer the experiences, meeting people, other cultures, travel… and that makes you improve as a person. And that is priceless.”
