Gerard Pique (35 years) surprisingly decided to retire as a professional footballer. Pique’s decision is quite surprising. No doubt, daily newspapers based in Spain made Pique’s decision as the headlines. Barcelona’s match against Almeria this weekend at Camp Nou will be the last match for the veteran Barca defender. The player who helped the Spanish national team win the 2010 World Cup trophy and presented three Champions League trophies to Barca retired with a number of achievements in his career as a footballer.
Generally, Pique’s success occurs when uniformed with the Blaugrana. A total of 34 titles won by Shakira’s ex-husband from 15 seasons as a Barca player. This La Masia academy education player had spent 1 season at Real Zaragoza and 3 seasons with Manchester United. Pique’s career on the rise at Barca. Despite his status as a defender, Pique managed to record 52 goals from 615 matches he played. Therefore, it is no exaggeration if club president Joan Laporta stated that Pique has always been a reference for Barca supporters.
Pique’s decision is somewhat different from that taken by footballers in general. What’s more, in terms of his actual age, Pique can still play with other clubs. Also, usually a footballer decides to retire at the end of the competitive period. There are also those who have given a signal to retire towards the end of the season and the decision becomes effective when the one-season competition ends.
On the other hand, Pique decided to retire when the competition season was not even halfway through. Hence, Pique’s decision is very different. Various many things could be the cause of the decision made by this Barca centre-back. In the first place, this season Pique has rarely played. So far, when Barca have played in the Spanish La Liga and the European Champions League, Pique has only recorded 555 minutes from 9 matches played.
Instead of Pique still intending to compete with defenders such as Jules Kunde, Ronald Araujo, Andreas Christensen, and Eric Garcia, Pique seems not to live up to expectations. Pique became Xavi’s last choice. Pique had become a core player when Barca experienced a defender crisis due to injury problems. However, the former Spain international’s performance was less than convincing, and even Pique was considered the culprit of the draw when Barca played 3-3 against Inter Milan in the European Champions League. The result of the match became one of the reasons for the elimination of Barca from the Champions League.
Therefore, Pique’s place in the first team is increasingly marginalized. Not a few fans want the veteran player to leave Camp Nou. Yes, this season Pique’s chances of entering the first team are getting slimmer. There are strong rumors circulating that Pique will be sold out of Barca in the transfer window in January. Moreover, Pique is still considered a high-paid player, but his contribution to the team is minimal.
Allowing or asking Pique to leave could be a way for the club to streamline the squad and salaries among players. However, Pique’s decision was faster than the rumors circulating and the club’s plans. Of course, Pique already has his own considerations to end his career in a way that most people don’t expect.
In addition to his place in the Barca main squad being increasingly marginalized, Pique is also faced with personal problems, especially regarding his relationship with the Colombian singer, Shakira. The couple is reportedly divorced. This divorce also resulted in the existence of children from these two couples. Things get complicated for Pique if Shakira decides to stay in the United States, and Pique is still tied to his career as a footballer. This will make it difficult for him to interact with his children.
It’s different when Pique is not bound by a professional contract as a footballer. She can freely keep in touch with her children. Personal problems are often one of the reasons why a player cannot perform optimally. Player concentration is not focused. In addition, Pique is also known as a businessman. Unmitigated, Pique is active in running several business entities such as in the eSports world, the FC Andora soccer club which plays in the second division, to a real estate business named Kerad Hoding.
Business affairs are of course difficult to interfere with careers. Like it or not, a career as a professional footballer must be sacrificed if Pique wants to really focus on being a businessman. Pique’s decision has shown that he is willing to sacrifice his career and focus more on personal matters that have quite convincing prospects in the future.
Yes, Pique’s decision does feel surprising. However, that decision must have been considered mature for a long period of time. The decision to retire for Pique is not the end of his relationship with Barca. It’s no secret that Pique is so attached to Barca. Even in the midst of the financial crisis that hit Barca last year, Pique became the first player to be willing to take a pay cut.
Pique’s attachment to Barca further reinforces his ambition for the future to become president of Barcelona. This ambition seems to have started to come to light when Pique is willing and brave to jump into various business fields that deal with the world of sports. Even Pique had time to learn about the world of business, sports, and entertainment at Harvard University’s business school.
Therefore, Pique’s decision to retire cannot be separated from the target in the future. What’s more, to survive as a professional player at a convincing level always clashes with the challenges of age. Sooner or later, the age factor is inevitable.
Pique seemed reluctant to get caught up in that situation. The decision to retire which is still relatively early could be one of Pique’s ways to start a new career as a businessman in the world of sports. His success can be a guarantee in convincing Barca fans to choose him to become Barca president in the future.
ASL
