Gerard Pique ‘renounces’ €30 million he was owed by Barcelona after retirement

Gerard Pique has taken the footballing world by storm after announcing a sudden retirement from professional football.

His decision comes in the midst of widespread criticism over his performances that saw him fall behind the likes of Jules Kounde, Andreas Christensen, Ronald Araujo and even Marcos Alonso in the pecking order.

As a result, Pique has decided to hang up his boots and he will play the last match for Barcelona this coming weekend.

In addition to announcing his retirement, Pique has also ‘renounced’ the money he was owed by FC Barcelona as well, reports El Larguero (h/t Reshad Rehman).

Pique is indeed one of the highest-paid players in the Barcelona squad right now. But in recent years, he has not done enough to do justice to his hefty wage packet. Earlier in the season, the defender even refused to reduce his salary in order to help Barcelona free up their budget.

However, the 35-year-old’s sudden decision to not only announce retirement but also ‘renounce’ everything that was due could serve as a major boost for Barça.

It should pave the way for the Catalans to free up a chunk of their wage budget, which, in turn, could see them make moves for newer players. With Pique gone, Barça may even look to offload another veteran in Jordi Alba.

Although the left-back does have a contract until 2024, his departure could go a long way in helping Barcelona free up the budget to target and address some weak areas of the squad, including the right-back position.

Pique’s retirement might even force Barcelona to go after a new centre-back. Inigo Martinez has been mooted as one of the targets, though it remains to be seen whether the club are willing to splash the cash for the Athletic Club centre-back in January.