- Joselu hits back at Gerard Pique about Champions League titles
- Former Barcelona defender claims that victories at his former club are more important than winning the Champions League.
- Madrid 2022’s win has been referred to as a “miracle” and forgotten.
The Real Madrid striker Joselu has responded to Gerard Pique’s claims that Champions League victories are more important at Camp Nou than at Bernabeu.
Pique claimed, in a controversial interview earlier this month with RAC1 that Barcelona’s method means that success is “remembered for ever”, in contrast to Madrid.
Madrid’s Champions League victory in 2022 was also dubbed a miracle by the retired centre-back, because they were forced to win every round of knockouts to get to the final.
Pique stated, “I say this every time, but our style of playing [at Barcelona] is what we will be remembered for, and we’ll always remember it when we win.”
It’s just another round. It won’t even be remembered. The last time [in 2022], when they beat them in every round.
Joselu was not at Madrid when those remarks were made, but he has had a relationship with the club since he began his first stint as a youngster in 2009. He didn’t take kindly to them.
Joselu stood for his team / Soccrates images/GettyImages
The 33-year old said to El Partidazo de COPE on Spanish international duty this week: “I don’t think you will remember 2022 if you do not remember it. The final was also important, not only for what had happened during the games before but what transpired.
Pique said it because he’s an envious Barcelona fan and he is a a href fan. Pique is an Barcelona supporter and so he was envious.
Madrid has won 7 of its 14 European Cup/Champions League titles in the first two-thirds of the 21st Century, dominating this competition. They are now searching for the 15th title. Madrid has made a good start, and is already in the knockout stages with just two matches remaining.
Barcelona has five titles under their belt, each between 1992 and 2015 Catalans struggled to achieve success in the recent past. They have failed to win any knockout games since the infamous 8-2 humiliation they suffered at the hands Bayern Munich, in 2020. In each of their last two seasons they also exited at the group stages. There is work left to be done to prevent a repeat of the 8-2 humiliation suffered by Bayern Munich in 2020.