Gerard Piqué fined for confronting match official in tunnel incident
Former Barcelona defender Gerard Piqué has been fined €12,000 for an altercation with a match official during a Spanish second-division match. The incident occurred at halftime of a Segunda División match between his club, FC Andorra, and Málaga on April 1st. The Spanish Football Federation's competition committee announced the sanction this week.
According to the match referee's report, the incident occurred in the tunnel after the first half. The official stated that Piqué, the owner and president of FC Andorra, "approached the first assistant referee in an aggressive manner, shouting and pointing his finger just centimeters from the official's face." The report details that Piqué repeatedly shouted, "This is a historic robbery" and "I'm going to post this on Twitter."
The Spanish federation's disciplinary committee deemed the 37-year-old's actions to be a serious infraction. The €12,000 fine is the latest in a series of financial penalties for the former Spain international. Piqué has been fined twice this season already, receiving two separate €9,000 fines for previous incidents, having previously avoided punishment for another earlier in the season. The committee's report noted that Piqué's repeated infractions could lead to even harsher penalties for his club in the future, including potential points deductions for FC Andorra.
This is not Piqué's first high-profile confrontation with officials. His final professional match for Barcelona in November 2022 ended with a red card for dissent, an incident that now appears to be a recurring theme in his post-playing career as a club executive. The latest fine highlights the intense and often controversial nature of the former defender's transition into football club ownership and management.
Piqué purchased FC Andorra in 2018 and has overseen the club's rise from the lower tiers of Spanish football to the second division. The club is currently fighting to avoid relegation from the Segunda División. The fine is a significant personal sanction and underscores the intense pressure and high stakes in the Spanish second division's promotion and relegation battles. The federation's report suggests that future infractions by the club's owner could result in more severe sporting penalties for the team itself.
