Gerard Pique has confirmed his decision to retire from international duty after the 2018 World Cup and admitted he nearly quite football entirely in 2014.
The Barcelona defender’s international retirement was announced after the victory over Albania when he had been accused of cutting the sleeves of his top to remove the Spanish flag from his top, which was later proved incorrect.
"Yes, it is a final decision," Pique told a news conference ahead of Barca's Champions League game with Manchester City.
"I didn't want to announce my decision then, but I wasn't too happy with the stories which were later proven to be false, so I felt the need to announce it then.
"I've read that Twitter, stories in newspapers, Florentinopuppet at OK Diario kicked me out, but this is a decision I took myself, because I think I deserve to leave how and when I want to, when I'm 31 after the World Cup.
"If the coach continues to call me up, I will have played for Spain for 10 years and I think that's the best option for me, to take a step to the side and allow future generations to take the space I've taken over this time.
"After the 2014 World Cup I spoke to people, with Vicente del Bosque and other coaches and said I didn't want to continue, but I was convinced to changed my mind.
"It was a question of motivation — I didn't have any. Maybe that was because I'd won so much so young.”
