Gerard Pique has welcomed the increased competition for his place at heart of Barcelona’s defence this season.
The Spanish international was on the bench for the defeat of Athletic Bilbao last weekend, when his place was taken by Jeremy Mathieu, but returned for the Champions League clash with APOEL on Wednesday night, when he scored the only goal of the game.
However, far from being concerned about his role in the side, Pique insists he is determined to once again become a regular fixture in the starting line-up.
“Some people prefer to know they are playing regularly for their own confidence and there are others who need the competition to get the best out of themselves.
“In the end it is a matter of personality, but personally I like to have competition because it shows the team is playing at a higher level and challenging for trophies,” he told Canal Plus.
Asked his opinion on the APOEL game, the central defender acknowledged it had been a difficult night for the Catalans in front of their own fans, with nine changes in the ranks.
“It’s always tough against a team that closes ranks, knows how to play football and is capable of creating danger.
“After our goal we had no need to get a second but we went looking for it. As we didn’t get it we ended up making sure we closed the game out.
“As for our team, we are all training well and the Coach wants everyone to be involved. We could have played a bit better but those that played did so to a good level.”
Pique was asked about his lack of a goal celebration following his match-winning header on 28 minutes.
“I celebrated it as I always do, dedicating it to my partner and happy to open the scoring against a side that had a lot of men behind the ball,” he explained.
