The Barcelona defender suffered a sprain during his Copa del Rey semi-final return match against Sevilla, but it was hoped that he would be back by now.
Pique wants to play against Real Madrid in the Clasico
Gerard Pique has made it clear that he hopes to return from injury in time to face Real Madrid in the El Clasico on Saturday, April 10. The Barcelona defender suffered a sprain during his Copa del Rey semi-final return match against Sevilla, but it was hoped that he would be back by now. “I will try to play against Real Madrid and I will go day by day,” said Pique. “I will try to be there as soon as possible, but not specifically on time for Real Madrid”. When asked about winning and losing in football, Pique explained that lessons could be learned from both, but particularly losing. He pointed to Barcelona’s 4-0 loss at Anfield in 2019, which saw them crash out at the Champions League’s semi-final stage after losing 4-3 on aggregate.
The most painful defeat for Barcelona was the one in Liverpool
“To win is to achieve something: a sporting victory, a triumph in your personal life,” he explained. “Perhaps it was a big or small effort. You learn as you grow up. As a child, you are taught to compete and enjoy yourself. You have to balance victory and be happy. My father did not force me to win. In football, he never told me what I should do better or that I should win. He was demanding, but there was no obligation to win. It’s easier to know how to win than to lose. We are taught to respect others from a young age, but then we have to put that into practice. You have to be a gentleman in victory and defeat. We had painful defeats at Barcelona. One of the most painful was the one in Liverpool when Barcelona lost 4-0. It’s difficult.”
“There are those who explode… Sometimes you are not ready. In general, in life, you lose more than you win. Defeat is part of life.” Pique has won every major trophy, but there are two that he puts above the rest. “Any Champions League, it’s the one that shines the brightest, he noted. “Also the World Cup, because it’s never happened before. Winning is great, but what remains are the experiences. The list of honours is fine, but the main thing is the journey.”