Barcelona's Gerard Pique to retire from football: Decoding his stats
What's the story
Barcelona ace Gerard Pique is set to retire from football following the match versus Almeria in La Liga on Saturday. Pique made the announcement via a video on social media. "I've always said that there would not be any other team after Barca and that's how it will be," he said. Pique, spent majority of his career at Barca. Here we decode his stats.
Context
Why does this story matter?
Pique will leave a lasting legacy at Barca, having been one of their best defenders. However, this season has seen him be a fifth choice defender and games have been hard to come by. Pique was earning a big amount of wages and as per BBC, he was somehow being pushed out by the financially-hit Barca because of the same.
Barca stats
615 appearances and 30 trophies
Pique made 615 appearances for Barcelona across competitions. He managed to score 52 goals. He also made 396 appearances in La Liga for Barca, managing 29 goals. Pique won 30 trophies with Barca, including eight La Liga titles. He has lifted three Champions League trophies, seven Copa del Rey honors, six Spanish Super Cups, three UEFA Super Cups, and three FIFA Club World Cups.
Man United
Pique spent four seasons at Man United
Pique spent four seasons with Manchester United in the start of his career. He joined the Premier League side in 2004 but remained a fringe player under Sir Alex Ferguson. He went on to make a handful 23 appearances and spent one season on loan at Spanish side Real Zaragoza, making 28 appearances. Notably, he won three trophies with United, including the Champions League.
Honors
Several individual honors for Pique
Pique was adjudged La Liga Breakthrough Player of the Year in 2008-09. He was awarded La Liga Best Defender in 2009-10. Pique was a part of La Liga Team of the Season on two counts. He was present in Champions League Team of the Season in 2014-15. He was part of UEFA Team of the Year on five occasions.