MX23RW : Saturday, April 20 06:29:31| >> :120:38125:38125:

Gerard Pique: 'I knew Neymar was leaving Barcelona'

Gerard Pique admits that he knew Neymar was going to leave Barcelona at the time of the Spaniard sharing his now-infamous "he's staying" photo.

Gerard Pique has revealed that he knew Neymar was going to leave Barcelona when he shared his now-infamous "he's staying" photo.

The Brazilian completed a world-record move to Paris Saint-Germain on August 3, 11 days after Pique posted a photo of the pair and the caption "se queda".

Speaking at a press conference ahead of Barca's Supercopa de Espana meeting with Real Madrid, he said: "At [Lionel] Messi's wedding [at the end of June], I had an idea that he might leave.

"In pre-season, again, he said he would leave. When I wrote the 'he's staying' tweet, I knew 100% that he was leaving.

"I know that he has his reasons, they could be financial, or it could be to be the best player in the world. He shouldn't be judged, he's a brave player. He performed extraordinarily for us.

"He hasn't disappointed me, and I don't regret the 'he's staying' tweet. Everything has a reason, and I wanted to use social media because that's an instrument I have. I wanted to help the club, and at least I tried, even though I knew he had made his decision."

During his four years at Camp Nou, Neymar won two La Liga titles, the Champions League and three Copas del Rey.

ID:304812: cacheID:304812:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:2243:
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Athletic Bilbao's coach Ernesto Valverde looks on during the Spanish league football match FC Barcelona vs Athletic Club Bilbao at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona on April 20, 2014
Read Next:
Valverde calls on Deulofeu to impress
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Real Madrid31246167204778
2Barcelona31217362342870
3GironaGirona31205663392465
4Atletico MadridAtletico31194859362361
5Athletic Bilbao321610652302258
6Real Sociedad311311745331250
7Valencia31138103432247
8Real BetisBetis31111283837145
9Villarreal31109124954-539
10Getafe31912103743-639
11Osasuna31116143644-839
12Las PalmasLas Palmas31107142935-637
13Sevilla31810133944-534
14AlavesAlaves3188152638-1232
15Mallorca31613122536-1131
16Rayo Vallecano31613122538-1331
17Celta Vigo31610153346-1328
18CadizCadiz31413142141-2025
19Granada3239203361-2818
20Almeria31111193062-3214


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!