Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez launched a staunch defence of Gerard Pique after the defender was whistled by supporters during his side’s 3-0 win over Villarreal on Thursday.
Pique, 35, replaced Jules Kounde in the 78th minute of the LaLiga match at Camp Nou to the sound of jeers from his own fans.
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Another section of the crowd tried to get behind him, cheering his every touch and chanting his name in reaction to the boos he had received when coming on.
“In preseason, I asked for unity,” Xavi said in a news conference when asked for his opinion on the whistling of Pique. “It’s a moment to be united: the squad, the staff, the board, the fans, media.
“Whether he plays or not, the only thing I ask from Pique is that he is an example in the dressing room — and he is a gleaming example.
“I am saying this because he deserves it. He has never shown a bad attitude [when not playing]. He is an example as a captain and the fans should know that.”
Pique has been a stalwart of the Barca defence since re-joining from Manchester United in 2008, winning eight LaLiga titles and three Champions Leagues, but he has fallen out of favour this season.
The former Spain international has started just four of Barca’s 14 games in all competitions, with his last appearance coming in the 3-3 draw against Internazionale in the Champions League when he was at fault for one of the goals.
“I don’t know and it doesn’t interest me much,” Xavi said when asked if the mistake against Inter was the reason Pique was jeered. “He is an example for the whole dressing room and training really well, that’s positive.
“The atmosphere is fantastic inside the dressing room. We have a great group, one of the best I have seen in my career.”
Pique’s introduction came as Barca coasted to victory against Villarreal thanks to a brace from Robert Lewandowski, who now has 16 goals in all competitions this season, and one from Ansu Fati.
The win came on the back of a difficult week. The draw with Inter left Barca on the verge of elimination from the Champions League and was followed by a 3-1 loss in the Clasico to Real Madrid last weekend.
The victory over Villarreal saw them return to winning ways and moved them back to within three points of LaLiga leaders Real Madrid after 10 games.
“I think we played really well,” Xavi said. “We needed to react and were due a performance in a big game. It was not an easy day after losing at the Bernabeu and drawing with Inter.
“There are high hopes for this team and a lot is expected [of us]. We stepped up and showed character, good intensity, were good in defence and, above all, in attack.”
