Lionel Messi left Barcelona this summer in a shock transfer that saw him join Paris Saint-Germain on a two-year contract but Gerard Pique believes it was coming for a while
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Gerard Pique has made a surprising admission over Lionel Messi’s exit from Barcelona in August.
The Argentine superstar ended his career-long association with the Catalan giants, who were unable to register his new contract due to their economic situation and needing to reduce their wage bill.
Messi went on to sign a two-year contract at Paris Saint-Germain after leaving the Camp Nou, with Barca struggling in the early months after his exit.
His former Blaugrana teammate Pique has now claimed that Messi’s exit from the club “was a moment that had to come” and admitted that it was impossible to replace him.
The central defender equated the situation to Cristiano Ronaldo leaving Real Madrid in the summer of 2018 and claimed that there was no other player who possessed the skillset of the Argentine superstar.
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Image:
Manuel Queimadelos Alonso)
Pique continued that the exit of Messi meant that not only did the club’s best goal scorer leave, but that he was the best in almost every attacking measurement and it was not possible to bring in one player in his absence.
Pique explained in an interview with El Pais : “You never imagine that he is going to go.
“But of course, it will always be difficult for the best player in the history of your club to leave.
“I do think it was a moment that had to come.
“Now, it is important to see how the club reacts.
“When Cristiano Ronaldo left Real Madrid, they also went for a while without a player who would replicate those numbers.
“We have lived with Leo for many years and now we have to find new references in our attack.
“The problem is that Leo gave you everything.
“There are players who give you a goal, others are good in one against one situations, others who can find space, who can instruct others…but Leo did everything.
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“You have to find many players who give you what only one gave you before.”
Messi is the highest scorer in Barca’s history – his 672 goals for the club is more than the second highest, third highest and fourth highest ever scorers for the club.
Messi has yet to get off the mark in Ligue 1 following his move to the France capital this summer but has scored three goals in the Champions League, netting against Manchester City and twice against RB Leipzig.
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