![Pinterest](https://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://uknews.evprotec.com/barcelona-boss-xavi-makes-telling-admission-over-his-role-in-pique-retirement/&media=https://uknews.evprotec.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/1_FGU54qbXsAIDe2z.jpg&description=Champions League and World Cup-winning defender Gerard Pique is set to play his final game for Barcelona after making more than 600 appearances in 14 years with the clubGerard Pique is preparing to hang up his bootsBarcelona manager Xavi has opened up about the private conversations he had with Gerard Pique before the defender's retirement announcement. Xavi and Pique were team-mates for club and country for a number of years, winning the Champions League together at Barca and featuring in Spain's World Cup and European Championships successes. While Xavi hung up his boots in 2019, Pique has remained part of the furniture at Camp Nou. Not for much longer, though. The centre-back has confirmed he will retire from football after the upcoming league game against Almeria, and it has emerged that player and manager held talks about the 35-year-old's future during the summer. Gerard Pique fulfils long-term promise to hand Barcelona £46m cash boost "Pique is a player who still has a contract and who could have continued at the club, so his gesture shows spectacular greatness," Xavi told reporters, as translated by Goal. "We had a private conversation at the beginning of the summer. I had to explain my intentions to him and it was one of the most difficult moments I've had to do as a coach. "We heard about Pique's decision this week. Surely I have had an important weight in making this decision, but the truth is that I have to make decisions and in many situations someone else played over Pique. "For me it is not a relief that he is leaving now. It is a personal decision for him, due to the circumstances and due to the conversation we had in the summer. I've tried to be honest with Pique… The footballer always feels when you don't play him, the coach is to be blamed." Has Pique's retirement been handled well? Have your say in the comments section! Gerard Pique is set to call time on his career ( Getty Images) Pique started out in Barcelona's academy but left as a teenager w){kind=link}
Champions League and World Cup-winning defender Gerard Pique is set to play his final game for Barcelona after making more than 600 appearances in 14 years with the club
Barcelona manager Xavi has opened up about the private conversations he had with Gerard Pique before the defender’s retirement announcement.
Xavi and Pique were team-mates for club and country for a number of years, winning the Champions League together at Barca and featuring in Spain’s World Cup and European Championships successes. While Xavi hung up his boots in 2019, Pique has remained part of the furniture at Camp Nou.
Not for much longer, though. The centre-back has confirmed he will retire from football after the upcoming league game against Almeria, and it has emerged that player and manager held talks about the 35-year-old’s future during the summer.
“Pique is a player who still has a contract and who could have continued at the club, so his gesture shows spectacular greatness,” Xavi told reporters, as translated by Goal. “We had a private conversation at the beginning of the summer. I had to explain my intentions to him and it was one of the most difficult moments I’ve had to do as a coach.