In an interview to ‘MD‘ Pique confesses travelling to the US against Valverde’s will initially. Blaugranagram translated the article:
“A few days before the ITF vote to approve our format, I talked to him and said ‘Listen, Ernesto, I have to go because there are doubts, and my presence can help the project move forward.
I didn’t want to tell him that it was in Orlando. He didn’t say no but neither did he say yes. Then we played the Supercopa game against Sevilla and won with a goal scored by me.
So I talked to him once more: ‘Ernesto, do you remember what I told you? Can I go? I’m just going to miss a training session, and I assure you that we’ll win the Liga match. Don’t worry.’ Then he accepted, and asked me where it was.
I explained that it was in Orlando, and he was startled. However, I insisted that I would return [in time] and that we’d win. Then I went there, the format was approved, I came back, and we won.”
Update: Gerard Pique on Instagram Story: “The manipulation the media does when it comes to my statements [about the Orlando trip] to sell more and stir controversy gets worse every time. It’s crazy to interpret my words as me having went to Orlando without the manager’s approval.”
It’s good to hear he got his approval — because of course he wouldn’t travel without it. That’s why I said ‘against his will initially’, because he said yes in the end. Piqué wasn’t happy about how some outlets chose to portray it though.
