Spain’s Secretary of State for Sport has defended Gerard Pique in wake of the centre-back being booed during La Roja’s 2-1 victory over Costa Rica on Thursday.
The 28-year-old was the subject of widespread condemnation from fans for the entirety of his second-half cameo in Leon as a result of his remarks about Real Madrid during Barcelona’s recent treble celebration, which he later insisted were made in jest.
“[Pique] has always been a committed and generous player for Spain and loved by the national team,” Miguel Cardenal said in a statement, Marca reports.
“He deserves the support of everyone because Pique, beyond the assessment of his participation in [Barca’s] recent celebrations, is a great player and an asset to the team.
“He has answered the calls of the Spanish national team since he was a child and everyone in football thanks him for his unwavering support and dedication throughout his career.
“We need to look after our heroes and not fall into provocations, which intend to undermine our united, model collective that has given us so much joy to the Spanish people.”
