Gerard Pique Comments on Alvaro Arbeloa After Real Madrid Farewell vs. Valencia
Barcelona defender Gerard Pique has put his war of words with Real Madrid defender Alvaro Arbeloa to one side, wishing his compatriot well after the 33-year-old made his final appearance at the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday against Valencia.
Arbeloa and Pique haven’t been on the best of terms in the past, having exchanged words on social media. The Barcelona man only had positive thoughts for the veteran Madrid man after his farewell on Sunday, though, and he admitted things did get a little silly between the pair, per David Manuca of Goal.com:
"I wish him the best wherever he goes next. If they have given him a send-off like that, it is because he has deserved it.
Sometimes the tone has been a bit too much and we shouldn't have done it. But he's had a great career with some big trophies, including the World Cup, and for wherever he goes I wish him well.
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As reported by Manuca, after Arbeloa used Twitter to make fun of Barcelona in the wake of their 1-0 loss to Real Sociedad, Pique stated “a player who has started once in 32 games doesn't deserve a response.”
Despite becoming a peripheral figure with Los Blancos, the Madridistas rose in unison to applaud the defender after he was introduced to the game against Valencia as a late substitute for Cristiano Ronaldo. As we can see here, courtesy of Ed Malyon of the Daily Mirror, the Madrid fans went to great lengths to show their appreciation:
“I've felt really proud to pull on this shirt every day," the defender said, per AS. "It's the best thing that can happen to a professional footballer.”
The farewell received by the defender was naturally compared to the one the club’s iconic goalkeeper, Iker Casillas, had when it was confirmed he was departing last summer.
The legendary stopper was in tears as he conducted a press conference on his own, with Madrid criticised for how they handled the situation. Casillas, in a post on his Facebook page (h/t Jaime Candil of AS), spoke of Arbeloa’s final bow, stating “every Real Madrid player deserves this kind of send-off, accompanied by their team-mates and the fans.”
Madrid did eventually hold a grander ceremony for Casillas, although Football Tweet compared the two initial send-offs:
Arbeloa joined Real from Liverpool in 2009, having left the club in 2006 to play for Deportivo La Coruna. During his time at the Santiago Bernabeu, he won the UEFA Champions League, the league title in 2011-12, as well as the Copa del Rey on two occasions. Alongside Pique, he won the UEFA European Championships twice with Spain, bookending a memorable FIFA World Cup win in 2010.
It’s unclear as of yet where Arbeloa will head once his contract expires this summer, although he could yet still play a part in Madrid’s season, with a key clash with Deportivo to come in the league and the Champions League final with Atletico Madrid on May 28.
