'El Chiringuito' has claimed that Barcelona pair Lionel Messi and Gerard Pique are at loggerheads, particularly in the wake of recent results.
There is a "complete breakdown" in Lionel Messi and Gerard Pique's relationship at Barcelona, according to the Spanish television programme 'El Chiringuito de Jugones'.
Relations between the two major dressing-room figures, who have have known each other since their days together Barca's youth set-up, are said to have grown all the more tense in the wake of the Blaugrana's recent poor form, which has seen Ernesto Valverde's men draw two and lose one of their last three LaLiga games.
Pique accuses Messi of shirking media duties
'El Chiringuito' says Pique is not happy that Messi, who is now Barca's club captain, rarely speaks to the media - particularly when the LaLiga giants aren't doing well. "Pique is critical of Messi for not facing up [to the press] when the going gets tough," the show claimed on Monday. "He feels that Leo only talks when he's not in Europe, with Argentina."
Messi rounds on Pique over porous defence
Messi, meanwhile, is reported to have hit back at the defender by pinning the blame for Barca's current bad run of results on the Blaugrana backline: "He has told him that they're letting in too many goals; he made it apparent to Piqué that [he thinks] the defence is not offering the protection it should."