Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has not entertained Gerard Pique’s comments on his side, claiming that the former Barcelona defender is not connected to reality.
Pique appeared on Catalan radio on Tuesday morning, and made the bold statement that Real Madrid’s latest Champions League victory in 2022 will not live long in the memory, despite the repeated heroics from Los Blancos. His argument was that they were not better than their opponents throughout the knockout rounds, whereas Barcelona’s triumphs will be remembered for the way they played.
“Pique lives in his world, which is not that of Real Madrid. I can assure you that there is not a single Real Madrid fan who can forget the fourteenth. It will be a Champions League that will be remembered for life,” Ancelotti responded, as recorded by Cadena Cope.
Certainly Pique will receive plenty of blowback for his comments, and plenty more fiery than Ancelotti’s answer. While there is no doubt that the great Barcelona side that he was involved in has gone down in history as much for their success as for their play, Real Madrid’s latest Champions League run was arguably the most dramatic ever seen. Precisely because every game was so tight, Los Blancos put together a run that many script writers would have struggled to.