Piqué's new role, without a place at Barça: "He's doing the best he can"

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It's 10:36 p.m.

on Sunday at the Camp Nou.

It's been an hour since

finished their match against Valladolid, and the substitute players are preparing to finish the post-match training session that

usually organizes at the

.

The thermometer refuses to drop below 30 degrees and the humidity suffocates.

The Barça starters who have passed over the Blanquivioletas are preparing to leave the stadium to cheers, but

, short and without separating from

, tries to fulfill the reservist's obligations.

The pants go up.

He huffs and puffs on 30-meter sprints that he completes without question.

At a cachazudo rhythm.

The trainers encourage him.

He defends

in a six-on-six match where he shares a team with

, whose first team visa has been withdrawn,

, who is still looking for a way out, or

, suddenly forgotten.

He complies without fanfare and, after agreeing to be photographed with some children who are waiting for him in the stands, he rehearses his best smile and closes his day.

"He takes it the best he can", he assumes from the Camp Nou.

Gerard Piqué is 35 years old, the same age at which his friend and former teammate

said enough is enough.

But Piqué's body is not as worn out as Puyol's was, apart from the tendinopathy that forced him to play lame in the final stretch of last season.

That's why he doesn't complain.

That is why, proudly, he believes that he still has time to escape from that bench from which he has not moved in the first three days of the League.

And he does it with another captain, Jordi Alba, as his usual galley companion.

is the only 'sacred cow' that maintains its status as untouchable, while

, with a remarkable start to the course, is at least required for emergencies.

Last April, when the scandal arising from the intermediation of Piqué and his company Kosmos with the president of the Federation,

, for the organization of the Spanish Super Cup in Saudi Arabia, broke out, the center-back was asked if he still wanted to play soccer.

Laughing, he replied that he planned to fulfill the two years of his remaining contract with Barcelona (an agreement until 2024 that former president

signed for him in exchange for deferring amounts and charging from this season, according to various sources,

).

In recent weeks, the footballer left a drastic salary reduction almost ready to help the entity again with the salary margin as he did last season.

But the deal, suddenly and without explanation, fell fallow.

double warning

Piqué is trying to pay attention to Xavi Hernández, who was the one who gave him two warnings before going on vacation: the first, to prioritize his sports performance before the business and private maelstrom that consumed his hours;

the second, that he would lose relevance in the team.

Thus, Piqué, especially since his separation from

was confirmed , has limited his voluntary media presence (what he can no longer control is the activity of the paparazzi, who insist on capturing images with the new couple of the).

And on a day-to-day basis, according to the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper, his attitude has not changed much, despite being aware of his situation.

"I try to be honest and clear with the players.

I try to put who I see in better condition.

Maybe I could be wrong, but who decides now is me.

.

Before the game against Valladolid they encouraged their teammates.

That says a lot about them”, declared Xavi Hernández on Sunday night.

The coach thus tried to sweeten what he had said a day before in reference to Piqué: «I was very clear to him.

.

He is a player who can help us, possibly with another type of role ».

For now, the role of Piqué is even darker than that of Jordi Alba, who, while

does not arrive , only has the young

as opponent to the position.

Piqué, on the other hand, is right now Barcelona's fifth central defender.

are ahead in the coach's order of priorities.

Piqué, who not so long ago was excited about the possibility of going to the World Cup in Qatar, must now content himself with watching the games from the sidelines and training with the discarded players at night.

After 14 seasons in which his ownership was not discussed -except for that first stretch of 14-15 in which

also readjusted the order of his priorities-, the central defender contemplates how Barcelona opens a new era in which he has no room.

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