Following the press conferences of Ivan Rakitic and Pedro Rodríguez, this Thursday it was Gerard Piqué’s turn. The central defender admitted, in Birmingham, that last season was not his best, and explained that “the challenge is to again be the best in the World”. The man who was in the FIFA XI’s for 2010, 2011 and 2012 made it clear that “I’m convinced I can do it” and that the arrival of new coach, Luis Enrique, will be very positive in that respect.
About the coach, Piqué stressed that he has felt “very comfortable” these first days under the Asturian’s orders. “The sessions are very dynamic and longer. It will be a long season and we will have to be prepared for the challenges to come” he said.
Pique also mentioned the new faces. On Mathieu, he said that “I don’t think he’ll have any trouble adapting, as he’s played many years in La Liga” and added “I think he’ll do really well. He’s tall, very quick, strong, and great on the ball. He’s also left-sided, which is what we lacked”. Following on, he stressed that it’s not up to him to say whether Barça needs another central defender or not.
He also commented on the Luis Suárez situation: “I guess he, like anyone else who has had their possibility to work taken away, must be very unhappy. At the moment he just has to wait. When he arrives he’ll do that with all the desire to prove that he’s one of the best strikers in the world". When we talk about the Barça academy, we are talking about one of the best in Europe or even the World. In addition to Mathieu and Luis Suarez, Pique also praised the youngsters who are training these days with the first team squad. "When we talk about the Barça academy, we are talking about one of the best in Europe or even the World. We shouldn’t automatically expect to get great players, as has happened in recent years, but it is true that the level remains really high"
