Retired Barcelona defender Gerard Pique has confirmed that he has settled his deal with the club, and in contrast to many of those that were put on extended and increased long-term deals, is no longer owed any money by the club.
Pique spoke at length to Cadena SER about life after retirement, confiming that he did not miss football at all, and was completely satisfied with his decision to leave the game last November.
It has been a period of flux for Pique, who ended his relationship with Shakira which had been over a decade in duration and brought them two children, before quitting football in November.
Barcelona agreed to mutually terminate his deal, but it appears that it didn’t cost them a thing.
Pique has accumulated so much wealth that it likely won’t impact him too much, but his attitude is unusual for many people. There is a strong chance that he gave up in excess of at least €12m, probably more, which few would be willing to give up because they don’t feel they have earned it.
No doubt the depth of feeling he has for Barcelona played its part, as well as perhaps the political significance of the move. It is thought that Pique may attempt a run at the club presidency at some stage, and his move will play well with members.
"I don't miss football at all," he said. "It's a chapter of my life that has passed. When you make the decision to leave, you take it. I'm very cold about it. Looking back does you very little good. It went incredibly well, better than expected. I'm very proud of what I've experienced. I wouldn't have been able to do so well even in my wildest dreams, but to stay in the past would be a mistake. The past doesn't give you any more. Obviously, people know you in the street, but that chapter is over. When that happens, you have to move on."
“The day I left the club, I left everything settled. They don’t owe me anything. I wouldn’t say I’ve foregone anything either. It’s true that I was signed for the last year and a half and it was a significant amount, but I didn’t play either and the it was my decision to leave. There was no point in asking him for anything. I got what I deserved while I played.”
Piqué acknowledged "a certain concern" about the financial situation that Barça are going through, although he assured that the club "is in good hands."
"Worried about Barça?" he continued. "It is a certain concern. You know that the economic situation is not the best, but we are in good hands. There is a president and a board that have lived through this and left it behind before. It happened to them in 2003. They are brave and they know what they are doing.
"We are in survival mode, but without ruling out titles. We have to keep winning. History pushes you to compete every year and win cups. At the same time, economically you are not entirely competitive. The presi knows how to play that game very well. I think the next two to three years are crucial."
Piqué also spoke about the future of Messi, who decided not to renew his contract with Paris Saint-Germain. Despite having the option of returning to Barcelona on the table, he declined this path, as well as that of Saudi Arabia, to head to the United States. It is something the former defender had already imagined and acknowledged to be the "most natural decision."
"From the first moment, I thought Messi would go to Inter Miami," Piqué said. "Financially they were offering him stratospheric sums. There was the option of coming here [back to Barça], which I understand he contemplated, but the most natural decision was to open up a market in the USA. In Miami there are a lot of Latinos, they speak a lot of Spanish and it will be easy for him to adapt."