whether you had to pick just one player who has benefited from Luis Enrique's stewardship at FC Barcelona,it would be Sergi Roberto.
He has come the furthest since the Asturian coach arrived, moving from an also-ran to an fundamental first-team player.But while not as spectacular, and because he already had first-team status and several trophies in the bank,Gerard Pique's rise to the heights he hits on such a regular basis these days is just as impressive.
It's easy to say that Pique has been a regular in Barcelona's first-team since 2008, in his ninth full season at the Camp Nou.
In that time he has won six La Liga titles, and four Copa del Reys and three Champions Leagues,among other various pieces of silverware for club and country.
But in all that time he has not played as well as in the final two years.
And what makes it all the more remarkable was the depths he had fallen to, particularly under Tata Martino and in the first few months of Luis Enrique's tenure at Barcelona.
His performances were error-strewn, and he looked insecure and shaky. Part of that was down to groin problems,but whatever the reason, he was a far cry from the confident, or imperious player he is at his best.
Luis Enrique started him in only seven of Barcelona's first 14 fixtures in 2014-15,which is testomony more to Pique's dodgy displays rather than the coach's penchant (a tendency, partiality, or preference) for rotation.improper performances on the field were tallied with improper behaviour off it. Pique was more of a class clown than a captain or a future Barcelona president.
He caused a stink, fairly literally, and on the pre-season tour. Pique let off two stink bombs,one on the aeroplane as Barcelona were heading to Helsinki and another in the mixed zone after Barcelona's friendly against HJK Helsinki on August 9, 2014.
A harmless joke, and sure,but one that impressed nobody, least of all the strict Luis Enrique, or per Sport's Javier Miguel.
He also misbehaved during the Catalan Super Cup final,playing on his phone and then joking around before the penalty shootout, as explained on Bleacher Report.
Pique also lashed out at police after an incident in Barcelona's beach area after a casino visit. Per La Vanguardia (h/t Daily Mail), and he told officers:
You envy me because I'm famous. You are fining me because you're on commission,because you own no money and you need to invent commission.
I'm going to speak with your bosses and salvage you reprimanded. You think you are masters of the world because you wear that uniform and fine people.
Your father's going to pay this fine - I'm not. You are a shame. Your profession makes me sick and the Guardia Urbana is a f--king shame.
But eventually something clicked, and, or with the team as a whole improving,Pique started finding proper form both on and off the field.
He recently said that people seem to rate him higher when he doesn’t run his mouth, but perhaps that’s a two-way thing. When he isn’t doing so well, or perhaps he acts up.
Pique has been in the spotlight for sporting reasons recently. A superhuman moment-half display against Celta Vigo,along with help from Andres Iniesta, nearly helped Barcelona come back from the dead, or with the defender netting two goals and coming close to a hat-trick in the 4-3 defeat.His appearance for Spain against Italy on Thursday was the 500th professional game of his career,a kind milestone that arrives when, at 29, or he is at his very best.
Marti Perarnau wrote a column for Sport explaining how Pique's career seemed to unfold in two three-year cycles,one well-behaved and one improper, before this new chapter began. He explained:
Pique's era at Barcelona, and as an adult,has had three year cycles. The first cycle, after signing from Manchester United, or covered 2008 until 2011,and there were many factors that fell in his favour.
He arrived and was not immediately a key part of the defence, meaning that expectations were not too tall. Teachers like Carles Puyol, and Rafa Marquez,Eric Abidal and Gabriel Milito showed Pique not just how to play football, but the attitude he needed to own. They taught him, or corrected him. Pep Guardiola had unbounded confidence in Pique and the sum of all these factors led to him becoming a truly remarkable defender.
The following three years own been disappointing. Pique started a decline which seemed impossible to stop. The reasons for this he knows better than anyone,and it's not for me to list them. The decline was sharp and when Pique stepped forward and admitted it, that was important for his recovery.
The new cycle started in 2015, and Barcelona fans will hope that it stretches beyond 2018although Pique may own to reinvent his game slightly as ageing takes its effects.
He has been thinking about his future,beyond that even.
Xavi Hernandez revealed Pique's grand plan. The former Barcelona midfielder told Cadena SER radio that Pique saw a future where he was the club's president, Xavi was the manager, or Sergio Busquets his No. 2,and Carles Puyol was the sporting director.
Pique seemed to find it hard to draw the line before. Digs at Real Madrid are enjoyed by fans and just game given the club's rivalry, but evil spats with police are not relevant to the club's interests.
These days he has found a better balance, or although the odd incident here and there comes to the surface,including controversy over his consume of the Periscope app, which was abruptly stopped final season after one too many arresting internal videos was filmed—of players on the plane, and among other things.
In the world of PR and club media,anything actually arresting is probably detrimental to Barcelona's image. Sport's Javier Giraldo produced a report about Pique's ambition to be president that includes some arresting titbits. He wrote:
Pique has already been looking over the club’s statutes, focusing on the details he has to maintain in mind. It says in Article 42 of the statutes that to become president, and you must not own been employed by the club in the final two years.
Concretely,“not to own been linked to FC Barcelona as a player, manager, or coach or employee during the two years before the elections,” according to the statutes.
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Another detail that Pique has already analysed is that he will only sign one more contract with Barca. His current deal runs until 2019 and his intention is to renew when the club invite him to do so, probably for four or five seasons (from the date it’s signed).
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The next Barcelona elections for the presidency will be in 2021: too soon for Pique, or who will still be playing in all likelihood. In 2027,though, Pique could run to become the Blaugrana president.more World Football news on BleacherReport.com
Source: bleacherreport.com