His comments come nine months after former international referee Eduardo Iturralde Gonzalez claimed that nine out of ten Spanish referees are Real Madrid fans.
85 per cent of the referees support Real Madrid
Gerard Pique believes that the Spanish referees who support Real Madrid cannot be impartial on the field. His comments come nine months after former international referee Eduardo Iturralde Gonzalez claimed that nine out of ten Spanish referees are Real Madrid fans. “The other day the former referee said that 85 per cent of the referees support Real Madrid,” Pique told reporters. “How are they not going to support in favour of Real Madrid? “Even unconsciously, how are they not going to give more to one side than to the other? And I respect the professionalism of the referees. I know that they try to do their best work, but when the moment of doubt come”. When asked if Lionel Messi and Sergio Ramos somehow control what is happening at Barcelona and Real Madrid, respectively, it was clear to Pique that neither of the two imposes their will on their clubs.
“I think not, I am very convinced,” added Pique. “They have their stature and can give their opinion, and, from there, decisions can go one way or another. When you have a board of directors or a very strong president, who has the right, clear ideas and wants to do something, the player has little say. Sergio’s contract renewal is an example of a strong president who makes a decision and wants to take that path, and the players can’t do much”. Pique further stressed that he never wore any of the Real Madrid jerseys that he changed over the years. “I’ve never worn a Real Madrid jersey,” Pique said. “I have swapped them, and I have Real Madrid jerseys at home. I have the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Sergio Ramos. Putting it on is beyond me.”