Gerard Pique has made clear that he hopes to return from injury in time to face Real Madrid in the Clasico on Saturday, April 10.
The Barcelona defender suffered a ligament sprain during the second leg of his team’s Copa del Rey semi-final against Sevilla, but it was hoped that he would be back by now.
“I will try to play against Real Madrid. I will go day by day,” Pique said on TV3’s Nexes programme.
“I’ll try to be there as soon as possible, but not [specifically in time] for Real Madrid.”
When asked about winning and losing in football, Pique explained that lessons can be learnt from both, but particularly losing. He pointed to Barcelona‘s 4-0 loss at Anfield in 2019, which saw them crash out at the semi-final stage of the Champions League after losing 4-3 on aggregate.
“To win is to achieve something: a sporting victory, a triumph in your personal life,” he explained.
“It may have been a big or small effort. You learn as you grow up. As a child you are taught to compete and to enjoy yourself. You have to balance winning and being happy.
“My father didn’t make me obsessed with winning. In football he never told me that I had to do better or that I had to win. He was demanding, but there was no obligation to win. It’s easier to know how to win than to lose.
“We are taught to respect others from a young age, but then you have to put it into practice. You have to be a gentleman in victory and in defeat.
“We have had painful defeats [at Barcelona]. One of the most painful is the one in Liverpool [when Barcelona lost 4-0]. It’s difficult.
“There are those who explode… Sometimes you’re not prepared. In general, in life, you lose more than you win. Defeat is part of life.”
Pique has won every major trophy available, but there are two that he puts above the rest.
“Any Champions League, it’s the one that shines the brightest,” Pique noted.
“Also the World Cup, because it had never happened before.
“Winning is great, but what remains are the experiences. The list of honours is fine, but the important thing is the journey.”
