3 - Gerard Pique

[serghei]

Probably this more conservative Xavi strategy of ditching the high line and high press when leading does him a favor.

We didn't manage to score against Betis, kept a high line all through 2nd half, and they burned us on one of the counters. My bet is Xavi is doing some EV-style damage limitation by trying to tweak the tactics to carry some players. The slow ones are the most exposed by a high line.

 

[Andresito]

Has done OK these past few games, but I can't recall him being challenged an awful lot.

 

[BusiTheKing]

He's being more assertive, which is good. For years I've been yelling at him to square up with his man instead of backing off.

 

[Porque]

Good game. Are we at the stage where it is either Pique or Busquets and not both?

 

[Messi983]

Yeah. Also not starting 3 games per week would help them both too.

Really hope Xavi will find a good way to rotate when we get players back.

 

[fergus90]

He’s been good the last couple weeks

 

[JerseyAddict]

Pique in short sleeved jersey. We are on the edge of bankruptcy

 

[Andresito]

Pique in short sleeved jersey. We are on the edge of bankruptcy

What game are you watching bro

 

[JerseyAddict]

What game are you watching bro

He has short sleeves and yellow undershirt.

 

[Rassvet]

Gerard Pique is the highest paid player at Barca with gross salary of 28m euros. Despite agreeing to lower his salary last summer, he will end up collecting all the money that belonged to him through so-called "loyalty bonus" for fulfilling the contract. (ccma.cat)

 

[Barcaman]

Captain stuff, getting paid for loyalty.

 

[Luftstalag14]

What's really incredible is Umtiti is getting paid 20m, on par with Alba, much more than Ter Stegen, Coutinho, Roberto and Dembele, if we believe MD's report.

https://www.mundodeportivo.com/futb...3924/dan-conocer-sueldos-jugadores-barca.html

 

[Messigician]

jordifinestres (Bar?a's communication director): "Not one. Not one did you get right. By the way, if you do all this to attack Piqu? because he makes you angry or because he has succeeded in life, do not lie using the money of a public television, which is very ugly."

 

[Messi983]

What's really incredible is Umtiti is getting paid 20m, on par with Alba, much more than Ter Stegen, Coutinho, Roberto and Dembele, if we believe MD's report.

https://www.mundodeportivo.com/futb...3924/dan-conocer-sueldos-jugadores-barca.html

I have hard time to believe most of these numbers.

Will never happen in European football but I'd really like if players wages would become public like in American professional leagues so fans could have a better overview. Now wages are just an estimation by media (more or less correct) and gross and net wages are also often mixed up which lead to confusion.

There is also a difference beetween players fix/base salary and bonuses. I think in a club like Barca quite an important part of wages (I'd guess something like 15-20% with most players) is in variables tied to individual and team success, like winning La Liga and/or CL (which we of course are not doing anymore) and what media reports is usually a maximum players can earn.

Of course all that said doesn't mean most Barca players are/were not overpaid for years.

 

[behindbrowneyes]

What's really incredible is Umtiti is getting paid 20m, on par with Alba, much more than Ter Stegen, Coutinho, Roberto and Dembele, if we believe MD's report.

https://www.mundodeportivo.com/futb...3924/dan-conocer-sueldos-jugadores-barca.html

That article is just another good example of how the Barto corner is now trying to stir up unrest. Pique attacked former presidential candidate Toni Freixa several times this week via twitter (as a reaction to an attack by Freixa on Dembele and then Pique directly). Freixa belongs in the Barto corner and sits with Marcal Llorente (you probably remember him, he got information directly from Barto, which is why Piqu? sometimes called him "titella") at TV3. Now, yesterday Lluis Canut (Koeman's good buddy and also Freixa confidant) published completely wrong salary figures on TV3. Coincidentally, he put Pique in first place with 28 million euros behind Messi with 135 million euros annually. Bartomeu flop Coutinho (and current top earner) he estimated at 16 million euros, although "Der Spiegel" has already leaked Coutinho's 23 million euros gross.

Jordi Finestres (sitting in President Laporta's cabinet) has already reacted and said that not a single number from Canut is correct. The further message from Finestres: "If you do all this because it makes you angry that Gerard Pique is leading a successful life, then at least you don't lie with the money from public television. That is very ugly."