Barcelona defender Gerard Pique has opened up and given a little insight into the relationship between manager Luis Enrique and star attacker Lionel Messi, admitting that the two had a bust-up at one point in the season since the Asturian coach's takeover at Camp Nou.
However, according to the Spanish center-back, both player and coach have moved past their reported disagreement which sparked rumors of a Barcelona exit for the 27-year-old Argentine. Speaking to Spanish radio programme “El Partido de las 12”, Pique also claimed that Enrique calls all the shots at the club, though insisting Messi is a very influential figure in the dressing room.
Pique said: "Luis Enrique calls the shots more than Messi, obviously. He's the coach, the boss, though Leo has a lot of clout in the dressing room. There are disagreements in every squad. Luis Enrique and Messi had a spat, but it's a thing of the past."
Rumors of a rift between the four-time Ballon d'Or winner and Enrique have cooled down recently, coinciding with a resurgence in La Liga from the Blaugrana, which has seen them slash Real Madrid's lead at the top to a single point.
The Catalan giants are also on track to reaching the Copa del Rey final after beating Villarreal 3-1 at home on Wednesday, their 10th consecutive win in all competitions.
Pique also touched on the issue of Real Madrid's tumble in the title race and the recent slump in Cristiano Ronaldo's form, insisting that both Los Blancos and the Portuguese ace will bounce back soon.
"They [Real Madrid] have an incredible team. Although they aren't playing well, two months ago people were saying they were the best team ever."
"[Ronaldo] He'll get over it. He's won three Ballons d'Or and no one should doubt him. He'll be back."
