Former Barcelona defender Gerard Pique has revealed that his love for the club kept him motivated during the final years of his football career.
The 37-year-old retired last season and even sacrificed a portion of his wages to support the team’s finances.
Pique, who came through Barcelona’s youth academy, left to join Manchester United as a teenager before returning to the Catalan club four years later.
He expressed gratitude for returning to Barcelona, admitting that at the age of 30, he would not have played for any other team.
Pique emphasized that playing for another club would not have driven him in his last few years as a player, and he likely would have retired sooner.
“No, no, not really. There was a moment in my career, when I was like 30, where I don’t think I would’ve played for any other team if it wasn’t Barcelona. Because I was not tired, but the career was already long, and for me Barcelona was everything.
“If not, playing for another club, the last four or five years I played because it was Barcelona, I’m not sure I would have found the motivation to keep going. I would have retired,” Pique told BBC 5 Live.
