Gerard Piqué, unfiltered: his retirement, La Masia, and a possible return as president

Despite having hung up his boots just over two years ago, Gerard Piqué remains in the 'eye of the storm', although this time for off-field matters such as his participation in the Kings League. This time, the former center-back of FC Barcelona granted an interview to Iker Casillas in which he showed his most Barça side while discussing his retirement, the impact of La Masia, and the possibility of returning to Camp Nou as president.

The Barça academy graduate began by talking about his retirement, commenting that "my situation is that I always felt like a starter and important at Barça, and I always thought that the moment that was not the case, I would leave. I couldn't see myself not playing in the team of my life and being more of a burden or a drag for not playing. It was something I thought about for years, and in the end, that happened."

"The childhood dream of playing for Barça was the only thing that kept that flame alive, but I didn't feel like I was contributing"

"At the end of 2022, before the World Cup in Qatar, it happened. I talked a lot with Puyol, because I consider him like a brother. I was scared the next day. The childhood dream of playing for Barça was the only thing that kept that flame alive, but I didn't feel like I was contributing," Piqué revealed.

The 2010 World Champion revealed that various factors came together to decide to leave the playing fields and not fight for a place in the team managed, at that time, by Xavi Hernández. "The only option I had to keep playing football was to stay at Barça and fight for a spot to prove everything I had been," he stated, continuing to mention some of the circumstances that led him to hang up his boots.

"There were other moments when I didn't have a guaranteed starting position, and I rebelled and turned the situation around, but at the end of 2022, I evaluated everything, and the feeling I had was that I couldn't do it. There were things I couldn't control, the message to the outside about salaries, the team wasn't winning... there were many reasons. I could have fought for it, but I decided to take a step aside and retire," he disclosed.

The 'gems' of La Masia and his possible return as president

Regarding the new 'batch' of young talents coming out of La Masia who have settled in the first team of Barça, Piqué stated that "Now there is a generation of players that I believe are standing out more out of necessity than confidence, because in the end, the big question is would Lamine, who has Ballon d'Or potential, be playing at a peak moment of the club, perhaps with Cubarsí, Balde, or Gavi, even though La Masia has always been an incredible resource for a club like Barça, and I believe it is our identity and our DNA."

The Catalan also referred to the possibility of returning to Spotify Camp Nou as president in the future. "After so many times that people ask you, in the end, you start to evaluate it. Being president of Barça is much more sacrifice than the positive things it can give you, and that is an evidence, I mean, you look back and see all the presidents of Barça that have been, the sacrifice they have made is above the profit it can give you," the former player began to say.

"If the club truly needs it one day, the responsibility I have is to be there because Barça has given me everything, absolutely everything"

"I don't have the need like others for what being President of Barça gives you. But on the other hand, I think that if one day I see the club needs people like me, who have grown up with the club, who feel the colors, who understand what the club is inside, who know what the social mass wants... if the club truly needs it one day, the responsibility I have is to be there because Barça has given me everything, absolutely everything," he added.

A situation that generates an internal dilemma for the former footballer, who does not hesitate to emphasize that if the circumstances warrant it, he will step forward. "I would tell you that I have this dilemma, on one hand, I see that perhaps coldly it doesn't compensate, but on the other hand, maybe one day, sooner or later, it could be yes or no, depending on many circumstances," he stated.

"It depends on how the club is, it depends on many factors in my personal life... I have to evaluate it. However, I owe everything to Barça. Since always, I have tried to be there for everything they needed, for me it is everything, and if one day I see that there is that need, then I will make myself available to the club for whatever they need. It doesn't have to be the role of president," concluded a Piqué who continues to demonstrate that the blood that runs through his veins is blaugrana.