Barcelona defender, Gerard Pique has revealed that he would prefer to retire from football than play as a reserve for the team.

He stated this in an interview with El Pais, where he said that he still doesn’t understand why Lionel Messi was allowed to leave for PSG. 

Pique was among senior players who had agreed to major pay-cuts to help the club fund Messi’s new contract.

“I will retire at Barça. That is for sure. What I will not accept is to retire as a substitute. See, if it’s the last three months of a season and it’s my turn, well, well. But a whole year on the bench? No, I don’t feel like it.”

“I understand numbers but the Fair Play issue is difficult for me to understand. I don’t know. Me, I feel with the president and 
it is clear yes I have to reach an agreement because otherwise you cannot sign up a transfer. And I think that if Leo was renewed the numbers would be very complicated … I don’t know if it was feasible or not with everyone making a monumental effort.

“I don’t have the information.”