HE'S OUT: Xavi to cut Barcelona legend amid reports of excessive partying
Days after informing Dani Alves that he won't continue as a Barça player, Xavi wants to release another of his former teammates
Legends do not always go out the right way. There were reports coming out that FC Barcelona's head coach Xavi Hernandez had a talk with one of the club's most historical figures, Gerard Piqué. In this talk, he informed the player that he will no longer be part of the team for the 2022-23 season. His injuries and his off-the-pitch life, especially his private, high-profile life, annoy Xavi, who believes that all this prevents Piqué from performing at his best. With Piqué already 35 years old, it could be the beginning of the end for him.
Xavi and Pique enjoyed the best of times as teammates, but now things have changed
That is why Xavi told him to step aside and look for a way to go out with his head held high. It seems that Xavi has resorted to the methods that Luis Enrique used with him when he told him before the 2014-15 season that he would be a substitute.
In this sense, Piqué's response was immediate, and contrary to Xavi's and the club's wishes, he was defiant. According to Spanish newspaper Sport, "Piqué promised to separate his private life to focus solely and exclusively on football" and challenged Joan Laporta, the president of Barcelona, with the following sentence; "I will be a starter. If you have the guts, bring the best central defender in the world, but he will end up as a substitute". Xavi Hernández's request for one of the central defender positions is Frenchman Jules Koundé, who plays for Sevilla.
Despite this, Barcelona are convinced that Piqué's time is over. Xavi Hernández wants a young defender who secures the team's defence, and he doesn't think Piqué can do it. The Catalan has recently separated from his wife Shakira and that has allegedly led to him partying a lot and spending lots of money.
Piqué forged a close relationship with his teammate Riqui Puig, but it seems to be affecting his career
On this matter, the journalist Spanish journalist Jordi Martín comments: "About Piqué's partying, let's see... I've been following him for 12 years, and he's well known in Barcelona, the parties he throws... But the words I hear is that lately he's going all out , spending a lot of time partying with his partner Riqui Puig". With Puig's contract ending after June 2022, it seems both him and Gerard Piqué will be out of Barcelona very soon.
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