Barcelona legend Gerard Pique has mocked his old rival Alvaro Arbeloa with a brutal jibe on WhatsApp after the new Real Madrid manager endured a nightmare first match in charge.
Real Madrid, who gave Arbeloa the reins after sacking Xabi Alonso on Monday, were dumped out of the Copa del Rey by second-tier strugglers Albacete in a shock 3-2 defeat on Wednesday night.
Leading Spanish newspapers have labelled Real Madrid's first performance under Arbeloa 'shameful' and claimed the LaLiga giants are in 'freefall' following the exit of Alonso, who was only appointed last summer in the wake of Carlo Ancelotti's move to the Brazilian national team.
Eager to pile in on Real Madrid's misery, Pique sent a message to a private WhatsApp group shortly after the defeat, which jokingly read: 'Good debut, 3-2.'
The WhatsApp message was sent to the presidents of Pique's Kings League, a seven-a-side football tournament established by the World Cup winner in 2022, and leaked during a live broadcast by Andorran YouTuber Spursito, according to Spanish outlet Marca.
Pique's pointed remark about Arbeloa threatens to reignite a rivalry dating back to the golden era of El Clasicos, when Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho were the managers of Barcelona and Real Madrid respectively.
At one stage, it was believed their feud was so bitter that some fans feared it would disrupt unity with the Spanish national team.
In 2015, after the pair had clashed in multiple matches between Barcelona and Real Madrid, Pique fired a thinly-veiled insult at the defender by saying: 'Arbeloa calls himself my friend, but he's just an acquaintance... cono...cido.'
By repeating the word and pausing midway through it, Pique appeared to break the Spanish term for 'acquaintance' (conocido) in half, leaving two separate words that can both be interpreted as insults.
The Spaniard's thinly-veiled dig quickly went viral on social media, which forced Pique to later clarify: 'I have nothing more to say. I simply said that Arbeloa is an acquaintance of mine and everyone interpreted it in their own way.
'I was very clear and I do not intend to discuss it further.'
Two years later, Arbeloa confirmed the feud between the two by saying: 'I would not go to lunch with Pique'.
Marca ripped into Real Madrid's 'shameful' performance after the shock Copa del Rey exit, claiming the team are in 'crisis' following a disastrous start to 2026.
'The crisis at Real Madrid is of extraordinary proportions, with two titles lost in three days, one manager sacked, and another starting out mortally wounded,' the Spanish newspaper wrote on Wednesday night.
'Arbeloa took a risk with his squad selection, resting four key players, and although the blame shouldn't be placed on a coach who has barely been with the team for 48 hours, he has already lost a title.
'To think that this team can win La Liga or the Champions League is a pipe dream.'
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