It was on November 3, 2022, that Barcelona legend Gerard Pique made an emotional announcement confirming that he will be retiring from the game of football.
Two days later, the 35-year-old played his final match for the Blaugrana at Camp Nou against Almeria, after which he was given a rousing farewell by his teammates and fans. While he was on the list for the next game against Osasuna, Pique never stepped on the pitch and was shown a red card while on the bench.
And the curtains were drawn on the illustrious career of one of the modern-day greats. Or so we thought.
According to Sergio Fernandez, Pique is considering coming out of retirement just a couple of months after stepping away, as he wants to play for FC Andorra, a club that he is the owner of.
Andorra currently play in La Liga 2, managed by Eder Sarabia. And Pique, whose Kosmos Holdings own the second division club, wants to sign himself up for a stint with them.
While the legendary defender might desire a return with Andorra, a move will be anything but straightforward due to La Liga’s strict economic regulations as well as his high wages at Barcelona in the past.
As per the report, Pique was earning almost €30 million per year when he stepped away from Barça. And Andorra, under La Liga regulations, cannot pay him anywhere near that amount.
Pique’s potential salary at the club would have to go through the La Liga Valuation Committee, who would decide how much he is valued at for the squad salary cup purposes and determine how much having a player of his level would cost Andorra.
The Committee is given all the data regarding a player’s past contracts and matches based on which they assess the situation. There have been cases when they have allowed players to sign for half their previous wages, but even that would be out of reach for Andorra with Pique.
That is because their salary cap for this season is set at €6.529 million and do not have the room to accommodate Pique even if he would be in a contract worth €2-3 million. So, the club might have to find ways to generate additional revenue to make the move happen.
Pique had always maintained that Barcelona would be his last club. And while he lived up to that, it seems like he is still not entirely done with football and is considering a return with the club he owns. It will certainly be interesting to see if the Barça icon somehow ends up playing for Andorra.