Barcelona icon reacts to Real Madrid’s stance on Espanyol controversy – ‘Lived this story millions of times’ | OneFootball

Gerard Pique has always been a figure who sparks attention, both on and off the pitch. The former Barcelona defender recently spoke to MARCA, offering his thoughts on the controversy following the match between Espanyol and Real Madrid.

When discussing the clash between Espanyol and Real Madrid, Pique revealed that he did not favour either side. From his point of view, these matches are tricky because, ideally, neither team winning would be the best outcome.

“In these games you don’t want anyone to win. In the end it’s positive because whatever the result is also good because there’s one of the two who always loses points, or both,” he said.

Pique also weighed in on the contentious incident involving Carlos Romero and Kylian Mbappé, which stirred up debate. He noted that judging situations from still images often makes incidents appear more severe than they actually are.

Although he hadn’t seen the play live, he believed that these kinds of decisions ultimately rest with the referee. Once a decision is made, clubs should accept it and move forward without dragging it out.

“I saw the image in the newspapers and the stopped image does look like it could be red, but it is the usual. That is, when you stop an image it sometimes looks more than it is. I didn’t see it live, so I can’t tell you.

“But hey, that’s it. It is a decision that in the end the referee believes, in this case, that it is not red and the clubs would have to accept it.”

Speaking on Real Madrid’s complaints

Gerard Pique said Real Madrid should have moved on. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

Addressing Real Madrid’s complaints about the refereeing, Pique was critical, suggesting that their protests were merely a diversion tactic. He argued that Real Madrid has long employed this strategy when things don’t go their way.

“We have lived this story millions of times. The other day Simeone I think he was very, very right. We have been living this for 120 years.”

According to him, creating media distractions helps shift the focus away from the team’s shortcomings. He remarked that this has been a common scenario for more than a century in Spanish football.

“The smokescreens are very Real Madrid-style, that is, when we don’t win we are going to put all the machinery, all the media to talk about something else.”

Pique also sympathised with referees, acknowledging that such controversies often place them under greater scrutiny and pressure.

“This, well, is that we have always lived this. Here the ones who are going to suffer now are the referees, with more pressure. I wish them the best, but it has always been like this.”

Pique’s candid remarks reflect his unfiltered approach to football discussions, making him a voice that continues to resonate even after hanging up his boots.