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| Gerard Pique of FC Barcelona looks on during spanish league, La Liga Santander, football match played between FC Barcelona and Athletic Club Bilbao at Spotify Camp Nou on October 23, 2022 in Barcelona, Spain. |
Gerard Pique
has announced his retirement from football, bring down the curtain on a
sensational career that has seen him win everything at club and international
level.
The
35-year-old has made 615 appearances for Barcelona, winning eight La Liga
titles and the Champions
League three times. He also won the 2010 World Cup and
2012 European Championship with Spain.
The defender
also picked up a Premier League and Champions League title during his stint
with Manchester
United between starting his footballing life at Barca and returning to
the club in 2008.
He has
continued to feature this season, but has now announced that Saturday’s home
game against Almeria in La Liga will be his last at the Camp Nou.
Pique said
in a farewell video posted on social media: ‘The last few weeks, months, lots
of people have been talking about me. Until now I haven’t said anything. But
now, I want to be the one talking about me.‘Like many
of you I have always been a Barca fan. I was born into a football loving family
of Barca fans.‘From a very
young age I didn’t want to become a football player, I wanted to be a Barca
player.I’ve been
thinking a lot about that kid lately. About what little Gerard would have
thought if he had bene told that all his dreams would come true.‘That he
would make it to Barca first team that he would win every trophy possible. That
he would become European champion and World champion. That he would play
alongside the bests players in history. That he would become one of the team’s
captains. That he would make friends for life. It’s been 25 years since I
joined Barca. I left and I came back.‘Football
has given me everything. Barca has given me everything. You, Culers, have given
me everything. And now that all that kid’s dreams have come true, I want to
tell you that I’ve decided that now is the time to bring this journey to its
end.‘I’ve always
said that there would not be any other team after Barca. And that’s how it will
be.‘This
Saturday’s game will be my last at Camp Nou. I will become a regular fan. I
will support the team.‘I will pass
my love for Barca to my children. Like my family did with me. And you know me.
Sooner or later I’ll be back.‘I’ll see
you at Camp Nou, Long live Barca. Always.’
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