Gerard Pique is set to retire from Spain after the 2018 World Cup
Gerard Pique has established himself as one of the most highly-rated and coveted defenders in the world of football but at the age of 30, his golden years appear to be behind him and time has taken a toll on him as the experienced performer has stated on various occasions his intentions of hanging up his playing boots for Spain after the 2018 FIFA World Cup ends.
One of the other main reasons of why Pique stated that he wants to quit performing for Spain is due to the criticism that he has been receiving lately, especially after what the veteran defender did during Spain’s 2018 FIFA World Cup Qualifying match against Albania which was played on October 9 of 2016.
During that match, Pique cut off the sleeves of his shirt and he was later booed as well as critiqued for this action. The Barcelona would later defend his decision as he talked to the media and said:
“Yes, I’m tired of it and the World Cup in Russia is going to be my last commitment with the Spain team and then I hope I can be left in peace. I cut my shirt because the sleeves were very short and they were bothering me. I’ve tried everything but I can’t take it anymore, the thing with the sleeve is the straw that has broken the camel’s back.”
The 2018 FIFA World Cup is scheduled to kick-off on June 14 until July 15 and at this point in time, Pique will be 31 years old which means that the Spanish defender should still be able to perform at a fairly high-level with Barcelona which is good news for the club as trying to find a replacement for someone like Gerard Pique will take some time and if Pique quits performing for Spain, it means that he can focus and continue performing for Barcelona.