Barcelona defender Gerard Pique has revisited his 2010 memory as he narrates how he fought for Spain despite being a Catalan.
Pique was an important member of the Spanish squad which mesmerized the world with their tiki-taka type of football which eventually won them the World Cup trophy.
“In the first game [against Switzerland] I got a cut above my eyebrow, and in the second, my lip, and in two days, in training, they hit me in the mouth and opened my lip again,” he told L’Esportiu.
“I remember Vicente del Bosque saying: ‘What bad luck this boy has.’
“But yes, I broke my face for Spain. Long live the king!” Pique said
It wasn’t all bad as he won the tournament and the heart of Pop Star Shakira.
“I won the biggest title one can win, and met the love of my life,” he said.
“I left South Africa as a different person and had an unforgettable experience.”
Pique admits that the team was about more than just the Barcelona players who dominated the team at the time.
“There were many of us, but it would be unfair to ignore Iker Casillas, Sergio Ramos, [David] Villa,” he said.
“It is true that we were the majority, that Xavi had a lot of influence on our game, but I always thought that we had everything. A lot of quality and variety.
“What we didn’t have was one great star. That team is the best example that the team is always above a star.
“We did not have one leader, there was Iker, Xavi, Puyi [Carles Puyol]; three of them who were veterans, but there was no leader.
“And another thing that I would mention to everyone: good vibes,” he added.
The defender then mentioned how the players enjoyed themselves after the triumph.
“It was a great party, I had a hell of a time,” he concluded.
