On Wednesday, Barcelona denied the news that defender Gerard Pique had been blackmailing the club, as the Catalan newspaper “Ara” published a story regarding the player’s requirement to buy part of “Barca Studios” in exchange for agreeing to reduce his salary.
Barcelona needed to sell several assets belonging to the club last summer to help it register new deals, including “Barca Studios”, of which 49% were sold.
In a news item published on Wednesday morning, the newspaper said: Gerard Pique asked President Joan Laporta to buy a percentage of “Barca Studios” in exchange for a reduction in his salary, but Laporta refused it due to a conflict of interest because he is still a Barcelona player.
Barcelona owes Pique a large amount of money following postponing his salaries in the past two seasons to help the club in its financial crisis revealed by the emerging Corona virus “Covid-19”.
And the newspaper added: Pique was silent regarding the refusal, as he worked behind the scenes to get the best possible deal from the club.
Barcelona responded in an official statement on Wednesday, saying: FC Barcelona categorically denies that President Joan Laporta has received any offer from team player Gerard Pique or his company to acquire a part of Barca Studios. The club regrets publishing false information that negatively affects the image of Barcelona athletes.
Pique has been experiencing difficult times in recent months on and off the field, as he became the fifth choice in Barcelona’s defense line following the new contracts concluded by the club, while still raising the story of his separation from his partner, the Colombian singer Shakira, receiving a large amount of attention from the Spanish and international media, which called him To think of leaving Spain to preserve his personal life.
