It’s said that opportunities don’t click twice. For some people, they need not. From winning multiple trophies to playing alongside Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, Gerard Pique has established his legacy both on and off the pitch and is now a successful entrepreneur valued at $80,000,000. The former Barcelona man, however, still feels he may have missed out on sharing the pitch with a few stars.
The Spanish defender decided to retire last season, and post-retirement, he has been busy managing his own soccer-style league, which is a 7 side tournament. In a recent interview, the 3x Champions League winner revealed two dazzling players he would have wanted to play with.
After sharing the pitch with Cristiano Ronaldo, Pique wishes to play with these two players
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Speaking to The Club, former Barcelona and Spain defender, Gerard Pique, revealed two of the hottest stars of this generation. When asked about which player he would have liked to play with from this generation, Pique said that it undoubtedly would have been Erling Haaland or Kylian Mbappe.
Whilst there are quite a few other youngsters making their mark in soccer, the two young stalwarts are hailed to be the next Ronaldo and Messi, even if they are not of the same mold as the respective players. Haaland had an impressive first season with Manchester City, scoring 54 goals in all competitions and leading City’s treble triumph.
Mbappe, on the other hand, scored 41 goals for Paris Saint Germain in all competitions and won the customary Ligue 1 with the side. The boy from Paris also won the FIFA Golden Boot for the highest number of goals in the World Cup along with a tremendous hat trick in the final against Argentina.
Pique then hinted at players of his generation he would have liked to play with, who had then impressed the Barcelona icon. He expressed that he would have liked to share the pitch with Liverpool and Chelsea legends, Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard
Speaking of his experience in La Liga and EPL, Pique also explained the differences between the Spanish top tier and the Premier League.
La Liga is very different from the Premier League
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Pique started his senior career at Manchester United in 2004 after moving from La Masia, the Barcelona academy. The center-back won the Premier League and the Champions League with United alongside Cristiano Ronaldo. Well-versed in the Premier League’s style of play, Pique expressed how the English League differs from La Liga.
Pique was also asked about one midfielder who could come into the FC Barcelona team which boasted the likes of Iniesta, Xavi, and Busquets. Although Gerrard and Lampard were talented players, Barcelona players played the game in short passes. This kind of gameplay was in contrast to the Premier League’s long-passing game, said Pique.
He said “Lampard or Gerrard in the Premier League, incredible! if you bring them to Spain, they need time to adapt. I’m not saying that they would not be as good, but you would need some time to understand the game and the way it’s played because it’s different. You can’t play long balls in Spain. If you play with Barca(FC Barcelone), Madrid(Real Madrid), and all the team, they defend in their box.”
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With Ronaldo and Messi slowly moving out of the limelight, the next generation seems to be taking shape. It has been an astounding start to Haaland and Mbappe’s careers and receiving such accolades from a veteran would likely boost their confidence.