Why Sergio Ramos vs. Gerard Pique Is Football's Most Entertaining Feud

La Liga is always filled with plenty of sideshows to entertain the masses, quite aside from the actual football on show and the pursuit of glory from some of the world's biggest teams.

One recurring theme that entertains onlookers has been the war of words between central defenders Sergio Ramos, of Real Madrid, and Gerard Pique, of Barcelona. Their back-and-forth outbursts ramped up another notch over the weekend, with the latter suggesting, per Marca, that referee decisions had caused an eight-point sway in Madrid's favour this season versus the same opponents that Barca didn't get calls against.

It's only the latest such criticism from one or the other where they feel their rivals have been handed an easier time of things, and it's part of what makes them one of the most entertaining partnerships to watch—from a neutral perspective, at least.

One feels supporters of each team are no doubt convinced that their own player speaks with merit and reason.

The Social Side

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Pique's Twitter feed is both legendary and hilarious, depending on which side of the Madrid-Barca fence your perspective comes from, of course.

His referee-berating over the weekend came via that platform, as did his memorable no-words, lots-of-emojis reaction to Real landing in hot water over the use of cup-tied Denis Cheryshev in last season's Copa del Rey.

Sergio Ramos is equally prolific on his own account and isn't shy about responding to Pique's outbursts: Marca reported the Real Madrid man saying "we already know about Pique's world, where everything's a plot against him," when asked about the eight-point swing being down to referees.

It's not just these two involved in online mind games and blaming everyone else, but they seem to make their opinions heard more often.

The Rivalry

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While their words make them the player the opposition fans love to hate, it would still mean nothing if their two teams weren't already massive rivals.

Barcelona and Real Madrid—European heavyweights who are expected to fight on all fronts, without fail, every single season. A point or two dropped is a calamitous event for these clubs, and even victories can be met with derision at times.

When they face each other, it's a fair bet either Pique or Ramos will be front-and-centre in the news, be it for an impact on the match, shenanigans surrounding the referee and his assistants or even finding the net.

Few in white will forget the sight of Pique thundering up the pitch looking to net La Manita—the fifth goal—against them, specifically because it was against them, while equally the Catalan supporter base will be hoping to never again see Ramos run off celebrating a last-minute equaliser against them.

The Awkward Internationals

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Far more fun than seeing the two great defenders line up on opposite sides of a pitch, however, is the expectation surrounding them when they have to play alongside each other, as they do in the Spanish national team.

Since Carles Puyol's demise and eventual retirement, Pique-Ramos has been the established pairing at the back, through the wonderful times—FIFA World Cup 2010, Euro 2012—and the awful, more recent ones—such as the dismal exit in World Cup 2014 and last year's flop at the Euros.

A mistake by either one affects them both, unlike at club level, where they can afford to revel in such misfortune, and even now after a managerial change and both hitting 30 years of age, they seem to be set to continue as the centre-backs of choice for some time to come.

Nacho and Marc Bartra have been unable to become regulars at club level, Jorge Mere is still too young and none of the likes of Inigo Martinez, Raul Albiol or Mikel San Jose have shown the level of quality and consistency required to oust the two superstars from their place.

Ramos and Pique next meet up with Spain in late March for a World Cup qualifier against Israel.

The Splitting of Spain

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Representing the national team is one thing, but Pique and Ramos are worlds apart on how they are perceived by fans.

It's not a question of quality or longevity, success or even that they play for opposing teams: no, Pique is vocally pro-Catalan independence, going as far as to plant a flag in the middle of the pitch after a Champions League final, and for some, it's a step too much to take.

Booed by his own national team's fans for his beliefs and his willingness to openly admit a love of seeing Real Madrid fail, Pique was heavily targeted in 2015 and 2016 and announced, per the Guardian, that he would retire from Spain duty after the World Cup in 2018. 

"I always give everything I have on the field, but there are people who think it’s better if I’m not here," he said, after he was (wrongly) hammered by fans for removing Spanish flags from his kit—in fact, he had merely cut the long sleeves off rather than switching to a short-sleeve top.

Pique has over 80 caps for Spain, but he also represents Catalonia when time and opportunity allow. Ramos, on the other hand, is merely captain of Spain, captain of Real Madrid.

The On-Pitch Quality

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Above all the hyperbole and comment, media suggestion and back-and-forth nature of conversations played out in the public domain, one constant remains: the actual ability of these two players.

They're not just defenders at big clubs, they're the two key centre-backs at two of the biggest clubs on the planet, and they mix technical ability with aggression. They are so high-profile because, in front of everything else, they put winning trophies, over and over, again and again.

The World Cup, league titles, silverware in Europe and beyond; Pique and Ramos know how to make their team do whatever it takes to succeed in any given game and how to do it so frequently across an entire league campaign that they are the ones celebrating in the end.

Late winning goals, tremendous defensive work, leadership quality and plenty more besides: It's their footballing ability that creates the interest in their personas, and above all else, it's their quality that makes them so entertaining, and it's their desire to be the best and see their team win that makes them so relatable and so watchable, on and off the pitch.