Gerard Piqué is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for FC Barcelona and the Spain national team.
Let’s see some interesting facts about him!
1. Gerard Piqué Bernabéu was born 2 February 1987 in Barcelona, Catalonia.
2. Piqué started his career in FC Barcelona’s youth teams as a defensive midfielder, but before he signed his first professional contract with the club, he decided to join Manchester United.
3. The Premier League side did not pay a fee for Piqué as he was too young to have a professional contract.
4. Piqué made his debut for Manchester United in October 2004, as a late replacement for John O’Shea in a 3–0 League Cup victory at Crewe Alexandra as a centre back.
5. He made his full debut on 29 March 2006 against West Ham United, in a Premier League match at Old Trafford, playing at right back, as Gary Neville was unavailable through injury.
6. His performances, most notably in the reserve team, earned him a new contract, which he signed in February 2005 to run until the summer of 2009.
7. On 5 May 2007, it was announced that Piqué would be staying at Old Trafford for the following season. Sir Alex Ferguson had intended to assess Piqué’s form at La Romareda on 6 May, prior to a meeting where the two parties would discuss Piqué’s future prospects with the club. However, Ferguson was unable to attend on account of airline difficulties.
8. Piqué’s return to Old Trafford saw him make nine league appearances during the 2007–08 season.
9. On 27 May 2008, Piqué signed a four-year contract with Barcelona, with a €5 million buy-out clause.
10. Barcelona paid a £5 million fee for the player. He expressed his joy at re-signing with his boyhood club, although he admitted he had enjoyed his spell at Manchester United:
11. Piqué’s first goal for Barcelona came in the club’s 2–5 Champions League group stage win at Sporting CP on 26 November 2008.
12. His first domestic goal for the club followed two months later, on 29 January 2009, in a Copa del Rey match against local rivals Espanyol. The goal, which came from a corner kick in the 57th minute, turned out to be the game winner in a 3–2 victory for Barcelona.
13. On 2 May 2009, Piqué scored Barcelona’s sixth goal in a 2–6 El Clásico win against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu.
14. On 13 May 2009, he picked up the first trophy of his Barcelona career as he helped his club to a 4–1 victory over Athletic Bilbao in the Copa del Rey Final. Three days later, Barcelona clinched the league title after Real Madrid lost 3–2 to Villarreal, with two games left in the season.
15. On 27 May 2009, Piqué played against his former club Manchester United in the 2009 Champions League Final, which Barcelona won 2–0, completing a historic treble.
16. On 19 December 2009, Piqué was in the Barcelona team which beat Argentine club Estudiantes 2–1 in the 2009 FIFA Club World Cup Final. Piqué assisted Pedro’s 89th minute equalising goal which took the match to extra-time.
17. On 26 February 2010, Piqué signed a contract extension to keep him at Barcelona until at least summer 2015.
18. On 28 May 2011, Piqué played in his second Champions League Final. Barça defeated Manchester United 3–1 at Wembley Stadium to lift the European Cup for the second time in three seasons.
19. On 20 May 2014, Piqué signed a contract extension with Barcelona, keeping him at the club until 2019.
20. On 6 June 2015, Piqué started for Barça in the 2015 UEFA Champions League Final, as the club won its fifth European Cup by beating Juventus at Berlin’s Olympiastadion. This made Barcelona the first club in history to win the treble of domestic league, domestic cup and European Cup twice.
21. Piqué, Lionel Messi, Andrés Iniesta, Xavi, Sergio Busquets, Dani Alves and Pedro are the only players to have been a part of both treble-winning teams.
22. Piqué was raised in a Catalan family. His father, Joan, is a businessman, and his mother, Montserrat, is the director of a prestigious spinal injuries hospital in Barcelona.
23. He has a younger brother, Marc. His grandfather, Amador Bernabeu, is a former vice-president of Barcelona FC.
24. Since early 2010, Piqué has been in a relationship with Colombian singer Shakira. They met when he appeared in the music video for her single “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)”, the official song of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
25. Piqué and Shakira share the same birthday but she is 10 years his senior. The couple have two children, Milan and Sasha.
26. Piqué was the face of Mango’s men’s line HE for four consecutive campaign seasons between 2011 and 2012.
27. In 2012, he lent his voice to the Catalan version of The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists! as the Pirate King.
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