Gerard Pique takes swipe at former Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu
Gerard Pique has admitted that Josep Maria Bartomeu is "up there" on the list of the worst Barcelona presidents of all time.
The Catalan giants have been left in financial ruin after Bartomeu's tenure, which ended last year after intense pressure was put on him to resign. Joan Laporta has subsequently returned for a second term as Barça president, where he's been left to pick up the pieces of years of monetary mismanagement.
The crisis at Barcelona has led to the departure of many of the club's highest profile assets - most notably, Lionel Messi. He's joined PSG on a two-year deal, owing to the fact that Barça could no longer afford his monumental wages to comply with La Liga's salary cap.
Other high earners like Antoine Griezmann and Miralem Pjanic, as well as a number of others, have also left the club, helping Barcelona to at least register their new signings - the likes of Memphis Depay and Sergio Aguero, who have arrived without a fee but are on significant wages.
Pique, meanwhile, has agreed to a significant wage drop to help ease Barça through this crisis, as have many of his teammates. Now, the veteran Spanish defender has told comedy show La Sotana (via Marca) that he considers Bartomeu to be among the worst presidents the club has had, while also confirming his reduction in terms.
"I can't say if he is the worst," Pique remarked. "From what I have lived, he must be [up] there. We are all guilty, but it is true that the club have not gone where all the Catalans want. Now I am hopeful and excited. The next five or ten years will be very good for Barcelona.
"I have given up part of my salary. My contract was ending this year but if I played X number of games it would be renewed under the same conditions as this year.
"Now the fixed [salary] and the bonuses have changed."
Pique also defended teammate Samuel Umtiti, who he says has displayed an "impeccable" attitude despite intense media scrutiny over his wages and poor injury record.
"[Umtiti] is fulfilling the contract with all obligations," Pique added. "People have to be empathetic. His attitude is impeccable. He has never missed a training session. Another thing is who signed the contract, a president who was voted in by the members.
"Why should we whistle at him? Most people have been in a company for 30 years and do nothing. If I were at another club, for example [Manchester] United, I would be doing the same as Umtiti. Every situation is different. I only ask people to be empathetic."