Gerard Piqué’s (35) season so far has reached a new low on Thursday evening. The centre-back was booed by his own fans after coming on as a substitute in the 3-0 defeat to Villarreal
Four La Liga appearances, three in the Champions League – that’s Gerard Piqué’s meagre haul in the 2022/23 season. In the top flight he was only substituted against Pilsen (5:1) and Milan (0:1), and in the 0:2 defeat in Munich he sat on the bench for 90 minutes. In what was undoubtedly the shakiest defensive performance in the second leg against Inter (3:3), Piqué was on the pitch for the full distance for the first time – which, however, was mainly due to injury problems in the defence. Without any real match practice on the big stage, Piqué looked overtaxed, ponderous and sleepy.
In the league, Piqué has already sat exclusively on the bench in six games (three starting appearances), and on Thursday evening against Villarreal he made his first appearance as a substitute. Piqué was booed when he came on as a substitute for Jules Koundé, and the stadium was noisy when he made his first contact with the ball. A much smaller number of supporters countered with applause.
According to Spanish media reports, Piqué’s dissatisfaction with his playing time and, in particular, his decision not to lower his salary – the only one of Barça’s captains to do so – were the main points of criticism. Immediately after the final whistle, sporting director Jordi Cruyff commented on the whistles: “A footballer will not play better if he is booed.” He added that the fans always have the right to react, “but it is essential that all players are supported until the end. “
Xavi seemed much more pissed off at the press conference. Barcelona’s head coach, who had already asked for “unity in Barcelonismo” before the start of the season, declared: “The only thing I can say about Piqué, whether he plays or not: he is a role model in the dressing room. At no time has he even once pulled a face. People out there should know that.”
A normal procedure for the coach, also a former teammate, to put himself in front of the centre-back? Not for Xavi: “If he wasn’t a role model, I just wouldn’t say anything, but he is one. I don’t know why they boo him – and I don’t care either. “
There was no sign of a bad mood after the heavy blows against Inter and in the Clasico against Real (1:3), he said. “Inside the dressing room we have a fantastic climate,” Xavi clarified: “On a human level, this is one of the best squads I’ve experienced in my career.”
And yet it will be exciting to see how Barcelona do between now and the World Cup break. The tough home games against Bilbao and Bayern are followed by away games in Valencia and Pilsen, before the must-win games against promoted Almeria and Osasuna.