Gerard Piqué
Gerard Piqué was born in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain on February 2nd, 1987 and is the Soccer Player. At the age of 37, Gerard Piqué biography, profession, age, height, weight, eye color, hair color, build, measurements, education, career, dating/affair, family, news updates, and networth are available.
At 37 years old, Gerard Piqué has this physical status:
Gerard Piqué Bernabeu (born 2 February 1987) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Barcelona and the Catalonia national team.
Piqué is considered to be one of the best defenders in the world.Piqué joined Manchester United academy in 2004, where he remained for four years.
He returned to Barça under Pep Guardiola's leadership, and helped the club win trebles in 2008–09 and 2014–15.
He is one of four players to have won the UEFA Champions League two years in a row with different teams, the others being Marcel Desailly, Paulo Sousa and Samuel Eto'o.
Piqué has also represented Spain 102 times, making his debut on 11 February 2009.
He played an integral role in the Spain teams that won the 2010 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2012.
Personal life
Piqué was raised in a Catalan family. His father, Joan, is a businessman, and his mother, Montserrat, is the director of a spinal injuries hospital in Barcelona. He has a younger brother, Marc. His grandfather, Amador Bernabeu, is a former vice-president of Barcelona. During the 2017 Catalan independence referendum, he was seen by many as one of the public faces of the pro-independence side of the argument, voting and tweeting his support in Catalan. He subsequently faced backlash from some Spanish fans for his support of the Catalan independence referendum.
From 2011 to 2022, Piqué was in a relationship with Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira. They met when he appeared in the music video for her single "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)", the official song of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Piqué and Shakira share the same birthday, ten years apart. Together they have two children. In June 2022, the couple confirmed in a joint statement that they are separating.
Piqué was the face of Mango's men's line HE for four consecutive campaign seasons between 2011 and 2012. In 2012, he lent his voice to the Catalan version of The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists! as the Pirate King.
Piqué is the founder and president of Kosmos Holding, a sports and media investment group he started with Hiroshi Mikitani (founder and chairman of Japanese e-commerce firm Rakuten, Inc.), Edmund Chu, Nullah Sarker and Mike Evans. Kosmos has struck a partnership with the International Tennis Federation for a 25-year, $3 billion partnership that will transform the Davis Cup and generate substantial revenues for global tennis development. In August 2018, U.S. billionaire Larry Ellison published a public letter stating that he is joining the Kosmos group. In December 2018, through his firm Kosmos Holding, Piqué bought Spanish football club FC Andorra. On 21 May 2022, the team was promoted to the Segunda División after beating already relegated UCAM Murcia 1–0 at home, thus getting promoted to the second tier for the first time in their history. In July 2019, Piqué took over a majority stake in another Spanish football club - Gimnàstic Manresa. The takeover was also completed using his firm Kosmos Holding. In December 2020, Piqué invested in the fantasy football game Sorare. Kosmos bought the Spanish broadcasting rights for the 2021 Copa América under a partnership with streamer Ibai Llanos, and in 2021 he and Ibai founded and became co-owners of the esports team KOI. The esports team ended up acquiring a majority of Rogue, which results in Piqué's team competing in the League of Legends European Championship.
In 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic Piqué along with teammates including Lionel Messi committed to a 70% pay cut in their salaries during the crisis. They further committed to donating towards the salaries of all employees at the club during the state of emergency.
On 10 July 2019, Piqué was ordered by a Spanish court to pay €2.1 million to the tax authorities following his conviction for image rights fraud. The defender pretended to hand over his image rights to his Kerad Project company in order to pay less tax from 2008 to 2010.
On 27 August 2019, Piqué took part of EPT Barcelona €25,000 Single-Day High Roller Event. He finished in second place and won a prize of €352,950.
Club career
Piqué, a native of Barcelona, Catalonia, started his career as a defensive midfielder with FC Barcelona, but before signing his first professional deal with the club, he decided to join Manchester United. Piqué's fee was not paid for by the Premier League because he was too young to have a professional contract.
Piqué made his Manchester United debut in October 2004 as a centre-back, a 67th minute replacement for John O'Shea in a 3–0 League Cup victory over Crewe Alexandra. He made his full debut in January 2005 with Exeter City in a 0–0 FA Cup draw. In a 3–1 victory over Sunderland, Pique made his Premier League debut on October 15, 2005, again as a replacement for O'Shea. Gary Neville was forced to miss his first league appearance against West Ham United at Old Trafford on March 29, 2006, when he was playing at right-back because Gary Neville was injured.
His performances, particularly in the reserve team, earned him a new deal, which he started in February 2005, which will continue through the summer of 2009. However, Real Zaragoza, a La Liga team, claimed Piqué on a season-long loan on August 4, 2006. Piqué was required to play in at least 20 games for the Aragonese team, which he did, as he began his 22nd team appearances in a fruitful spell, alongside Argentine Gabriel Milito, whether as a center-back or a defensive midfielder.
Piqué will be based at Old Trafford for the upcoming season, according to the newspaper on May 5th. On May 6, Sir Alex Ferguson had intended to assess Piqué's play at La Romareda, before the two teams' meeting in which the two teams will discuss Piqué's future with the club. However, Ferguson was unable to attend due to airline disruptions.
Piqué made nine league appearances in 2007-08, including his return to Old Trafford. Piqué scored the first of Manchester United's four goals in his first appearance in the UEFA Champions League, defeating Dynamo Kyiv on November 7, 2007, a 4–0 home win. He became the 450th player to score at least one goal for the club by doing so. In an away match against Roma on December 12, 2007, the club's second goal for the club also appeared in the Champions League.
Piqué completed a four-year deal with Barcelona on May 27, 2008, with a €5 million buy-out clause. Barcelona paid the player a £5 million fee. He expressed his delight at re-signing with his boyhood club, though he confessed to enjoying his time at Manchester United.
In Barcelona's 5–2 2008–09 UEFA Champions League group stage win at Sporting CP on November 26, 2008, Piqué's first goal was scored. In a Copa del Rey match against local rivals Espanyol, his first domestic goal for the club came two months later, on January 29, 2009. In a 3–2 victory for Barcelona, the goal, which came from a corner kick in the 57th minute, was the game winner. Piqué scored Barcelona's sixth goal in a 6–2 El Clásico victory over Real Madrid on May 2nd, 2009, winning him a passionate goal celebration in which he grabbing his Barcelona jersey.
He claimed his first trophy of his Barcelona career on May 13 as he led his club to a 4–1 victory over Athletic Bilbao in the Copa del Rey Final. Barcelona clinched the 2008–09 La Liga championship after Real Madrid lost 3–2 to Villarreal, with two games remaining on the season.
Piqué played against his former club Manchester United in the 2009 Champions League Final, which Barcelona lost 2–0 in Rome on May 27, marking a landmark treble and becoming the first Spanish club to win this tournament.
Piqué was in Barcelona with the Barcelona team that defeated Argentine club Estudiantes 2–1 in the 2009 FIFA Club World Cup Final in Abu Dhabi, completing an extraordinary sextuple. Piqué scored Pedro's 89th minute equalizing goal, bringing the game to extra time.
Piqué signed a contract extension on February 26, 2010 to keep him at Barcelona until at least summer 2015. Piqué scored in Barcelona's 1–0 Champions League semi-final second leg over Inter Milan on April 28, 2010, but his team lost 3–2 on aggregate, despite winning 1–2 on aggregate.
Piqué played his first match for Barcelona on December 7, 2010 against Russian club Rubin Kazan at Camp Nou, in the absence of regular captain Carles Puyol and vice-captain Xavi. Piqué was in his second Champions League Final on May 28th. For the second time in three seasons, Barcelona defeated Manchester United 3-1 at Wembley Stadium to lift the UEFA Champions League for the second time in three seasons.
Piqué took the 2011 FIFA Club World Cup Final in Barcelona on December 18, 2011 at Yokohama, beating Brazilian club Santos 4–0.
Piqué scored an own goal for Bayern Munich in Camp Nou on May 1st, making the score 2–0 to Bayern. Bayern went on to win 3–0 and 7–0 on aggregate.
Piqué signed a new deal with Barcelona on May 20, 2014, keeping him at the club until 2019.
Piqué qualified for Barça in the 2015 European Cup/Champions League Final on June 6, 2015, beating Juventus 3–1 at Berlin's Olympiastadion. Barcelona was the first team in history to win the treble of domestic league, domestic cup, and European Cup twice. Piqué, Xavi, Lionel Messi, Andrés Iniesta, Sergio Busquets, Dani Alves, and Pedro are the only ones to have played for both treble-winning squads.
Piqué defeated Argentine club River Plate in Yokohama on December 20, 2015, beating Barcelona 3–0.
Piqué renewed his deal on January 18, this time until 2022. In a 5–2 victory over Real Betis in his 500th game for the club, he played full 90 minutes in a 5–2 win.
Piqué signed a deal extension on October 20th that will keep him at the club until 20 June 2024, extending his buy-out term to €500 million.
Piqué scored a last-minute header against Sevilla in the Copa del Rey semifinals on March 3r 2021, tying the aggregate score to push the game to extra time. Barcelona won the game 3–0 in extra time and progressed to the 2021 Copa del Rey Final, which the team won.
International career
Piqué was a member of the Spain under-19 team that defeated Poland in the 2006 European Under-19 Championship. Piqué put in a good showing in defense and also contributed in attack, winning by a single goal and assisting striker Alberto Bueno in Spain's second goal.
He appeared in the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup, beginning all six of Spain's games and scoring a goal. However, Piqué missed the deciding penalty in the shoot-out against the Czech Republic, and Spain was disqualified at the quarter-final stage.
Piqué was called up to the senior squad for the friendly against England on February 6, 2009. In Seville, he completed the game, winning by 2–0. He was called up as a replacement for injured teammate Carles Puyol, and he scored the only goal in Spain's victory over Turkey at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in Madrid on March 28, 2009. He began in Istanbul two-to-one victories, and in the group stage for the fourth time.
Piqué made his tournament debut for Spain at the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup, starting in four of the team's five matches as La Roja finished third.
Piqué, Spain's first-choice center-back at the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa, competing with Puyol. Spain won the tournament, defeating the Netherlands 1–0 in the final. He appeared in all seven matches. In the knockout stage, Piqué's collaboration with Puyol saw Spain lose only twice in seven World Cup matches and keep four straight clean sheets. Eren Derdiyok collapsed over Spain's 1–0 group stage defeat to Switzerland, leaving him with a painful scar over his right eye. Gelson Fernandes missed the game's only goal of the game.
Piqué starred in every minute of Spain's UEFA Euro 2012 campaign, partnering Sergio Ramos in the heart of defense. In a semi-final shoot-out victory over Portugal, He converted the team's third penalty. Spain beat Italy 4–0 in the final for the fifth straight clean sheet. Piqué was one of three Spanish defenders selected in UEFA's Team of the Tournament, but La Roja conceded only one goal in six matches.
Piqué was the third of Spain's seven strong takers in a 7–6 shootout victory over Italy at the semi-final stage at the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup. During the final against Brazil, Piqué was dismissed on June 30, 2013 a Brazilian. In the 68th minute for a violent tackle on Barcelona teammate Neymar, he received a straight red card. The match ended 3–0 to Brazil, snapping Spain's world record 29 matches in international competition.
Piqué scored his fifth goal for his country in Spain's first group game of UEFA Euro 2016, a late header in a 1–0 victory over the Czech Republic on June 13th.
Piqué made his second international appearance in Spain's second group match of the 2018 FIFA World Cup on June 20th, defeating Iran 1–0.
Piqué resigned from international football on August 11, 2018.
Pique claimed his 10th cap for Catalonia in a friendly match against Venezuela on March 25, just a few months after he had been fired from the Spanish national team and led the team to a 2–1 win.