Gerard Pique Jeers Addressed by Spain Team-Mates Sergio Ramos and Iker Casillas

Real Madrid legends Sergio Ramos and Iker Casillas have had their say on the ongoing debate regarding the jeering of Barcelona’s Gerard Pique while representing the Spain national team.

The Blaugrana star was targeted with boos by Spain fans during La Roja’s clash with Slovakia in Oviedo on Saturday. The defender has been on the end of criticism from some fans since he spoke out in favour of Catalan independence last October, per Miles Chambers of Goal.

But as we can see here, courtesy of AS, Ramos doesn’t think there is much that can be done to prevent the defender from being the target of fan anger:

“There's no point entering into whether he's always acted the right way,” continued Ramos, per EFE (h/t SPORT).

“Here we are Spain and we represent a country. The jeers don't benefit anyone. We come to play for the national team to do as well as possible—the less said about this subject the better.”

Casillas, who left Real Madrid to join Porto this summer, was a little more diplomatic in his assessment of what’s becoming a big issue for the national side, per the aforementioned piece:

"

We have spoken with [Pique]. Nobody likes the whistling of a team-mate. We hope that people forget this matter and a solution is found as soon as possible. Everyone wants the best for the national team.

If Pique wears the shirt, it's because he wants to be with Spain. We all represent this country, we want the common good and we want to do as well as possible. 

"

FRANCK FIFE/Getty Images

Of course, there are plenty of underscoring factors that have contributed to this undesirable situation.

The ongoing political debate between Spain and Catalonia is a sensitive one, and Pique’s forthright character doesn’t align well with a topic that prompts passionate responses from those involved. As noted by Chris Pleasance of the MailOnline, the defender brazenly placed a Catalan flag in the middle of the field after Barcelona’s Champions League final win over Juventus in June.

VI-Images/Getty Images

There’s also the bitter rivalry between the Blaugrana and Real Madrid to consider. All over Spain, there is massive support for Los Blancos. Pique's assertion that “Madrid can f--k themselves” back in August after Barcelona’s Super Cup win over Sevilla will have done little do endear him to a substantial portion of the nation's football fans, per El Chiringuito (h/t Ed Malyon of the Daily Mirror).

Indeed, according to AS, a Spain game against England scheduled to be held at Real’s Santiago Bernabeu in November has been moved because of fears the defender would be subject to abuse from the Madridistas:

It’s a tough situation for the Spain setup to deal with. After all, Pique remains one of the finest defenders in world football and was a central figure in La Roja’s dominance between 2008 and 2012, winning two European Championships and the World Cup.

JOSEP LAGO/Getty Images

But in Spain, the rivalry between Barcelona and Real Madrid—plus all the political connotations intertwined with the two clubs—usurps almost everything else; the fans of each are tribal in their support and have long memories. So at this juncture, it’s tough to see how Pique can escape the whistling as long as he continues to don the Spain jersey.