Barcelona's first press conference of their pre-season tour in North America was a truly fiery one, especially when Gerard Piqué stepped up to the mic.
The outspoken center back discussed a variety of topics with the international media, and while at it, he aimed a slight dig at Real Madrid.
Speaking at Hard Rock Stadium, Piqué launched a scathing attack against those who don't value Barcelona's dominance in La Liga and praise other teams that end up winning continental competitions.
"Last year, we won La Liga, and it seemed that it was not enough for some people. We always want to win it all, but we need to have our feet on the ground. Winning La Liga is the best thermometer. Of course that we want to win the Champions League, but we also know how difficult it is," Piqué said.
Then, Piqué aimed a slight jibe at Real Madrid and their custom of dropping all domestic titles to focus on the UEFA Champions League.
"Winning La Liga is overlooked because we win it with a 15-point difference, and we have to add value to it, because we have to beat Valencia, Sevilla, Madrid and Atlético in it, and they are winning Champions or Europa League titles. Maybe we should stop caring about La Liga and the Copa del Rey, just like other teams do, but we don't like to play 'Russian roulette', we like to get to work from Day One. Hopefully, we will be able to lift all of those titles," Piqué added.
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Gerard Piqué referred to Neymar's situation and possible return to Camp Nou in the same press conference, but he refused to have a say on the matter until the Brazilian ace decides to do so.
"He needs to step up and take a stand. Of course we have talked to him, but that conversation will not be made public. It is him who has to make a move. He is a top player and we are waiting for developments," Piqué said.
Piqué would not hesitate to lure the player back to Camp Nou, especially since they were pretty close when the Brazilian played for Los Blaugranas. Nevertheless, the center back left things up for his bosses to decide.
"There are lots of us that were happy around him during the years he was here. It's a complicated operation, and I think that we have a good team to try and win all the tournaments we will play in. If the chance comes up, I'd be delighted to have him around, but regardless of what we think, it's not up to the players to decide," Piqué concluded.
