Former world No. 1 and six-time Grand Slam champion Boris Becker fired back at former Barcelona star Gerard Pique’s comments on the tennis format. The German legend took to X (formerly Twitter) to respond to Piqué’s suggestion that the sport should shorten match times with fewer serves and other modifications.

“A very good footballer shouldn’t be discussing the future of tennis. With all respect, @3gerardpique,” he wrote on his profile. Pique shared his vision in a conversation with his former Spain teammate Iker Casillas.

“Why do you get two serves in tennis? That’s 30 more seconds of someone bouncing the ball. People don’t want to see that, they want to see the point. They also don’t want to watch a five-minute game with deuce-advantage-deuce-advantage. There should be a golden point at 40-40,” he said while appearing on Bajo Los Palos.

Pique, who famously helped revamp the Davis Cup, explained that his experience with the International Tennis Federation led him to create the King’s Cup, as he learned that changing established rules in a sport is not easy.

“We tried to change certain things, and there was no way. The International Tennis Federation doesn’t want to change anything,” he said. “After that experience with the Davis Cup, what do you say? Well, I will create my own competition. I will set the rules that I want and what I think is going to work,” he explained.

Pique’s experience with the Davis Cup was short-lived

The 2010 World Cup champion, through his company Kosmos, worked with the ITF in 2019 to introduce a new Davis Cup format, in which the finals were played in a single location, eliminating home-and-away ties except for the qualifying rounds.

The new format wasn’t well received by fans, players, or experts, including Lleyton Hewitt, who has been Australia’s captain since 2016. By the 2023 edition, Kosmos had stepped away from organizing the Davis Cup, and last year, the ITF announced another format change, reinstating more home-and-away matches ahead of the finals.

Tennis is a unique sport where, although matches can last several hours, there is also a significant amount of dead time between points. For former Barcelona star Gerard Pique, who, through his company Kosmos, famously introduced (not-so-well-received) changes to the Davis Cup format, there are modifications that could speed up the game.

Speaking on Iker Casillas’ podcast Bajo los Palos, Pique said: “Why do you get two serves in tennis? That’s 30 more seconds of someone bouncing the ball. People don’t want to see that, they want to see the point. They also don’t want to watch a five-minute game with deuce-advantage-deuce-advantage. There should be a golden point at 40-40.”

The comment came in the middle of a conversation about how soccer and other sports need to “adapt” to the “new generations,” as they compete with other forms of entertainment and streaming platforms. However, Pique acknowledged how hard it is to introduce new ideas in established sports, such as he tried to do with tennis and the Davis Cup.

“We tried to change certain things, and there was no way. The International Tennis Federation doesn’t want to change anything,” he commented on his inclusion in the Davis Cup in 2019, in which he helped change the format, putting an end to the traditional home-and-away series that had been one of the most compelling elements of the competition.

The Davis Cup’s numerous changes

Historically, the Davis Cup featured a 16-team draw, starting from the round of 16. One team played at home, the other as the away side, and matches were contested over five rubbers—four singles and one doubles—played in best-of-five-set encounters.

However, this changed with the involvement of Piqué through his company Kosmos, which introduced key modifications: home ties were eliminated—except for qualifying rounds—and the final stage was played at a single venue. Matches were shortened to best-of-three sets, and the series consisted of three rubbers, with two singles and one doubles match.

By the 2023 edition, Kosmos had stepped away from organizing the Davis Cup. The format left behind was widely considered unappealing, with empty stadiums since the previous format’s biggest draw was the packed stands driven by home ties.

In 2024, the ITF announced a new format change. The group stage of the Davis Cup Finals were suppressed, and instead there will be seven home or away ties, with the winners, plus the hosts, contesting the Finals. The change was made to help players’ schedules, as well as to return to the more appealing format of playing at local venues.

In a TikTok interview with journalist Adrian Contreras, Gerard Pique was asked to name his five favorite players of all time. The legendary FC Barcelona center-back selected Hristo Stoichkov, Ronaldo Nazario, Ronaldinho, Francesco Totti, and Luis Figo. Without a doubt, this is an impressive list. Each of these players left a lasting mark on soccer history.

However, Lionel Messi‘s absence from this list is surprising. Gerard Pique and Messi came through FC Barcelona’s youth system together and spent years as teammates. They played 506 matches side by side and contributed to 17 goals. Both played key roles in Pep Guardiola’s legendary squad, which dominated world soccer and won every possible title.

Because of this, Pique’s omission of Messi has fueled speculation about a possible rift between the two. Rumors of a distant relationship have circulated since 2021, following Messi’s departure from FC Barcelona.

Despite leaving Messi out of his list, Pique has never hidden his admiration for him. After Argentina’s FIFA World Cup triumph, he made his stance clear. “I think there is no longer any doubt. He is the best player in the history of soccer. He elevated Barcelona to another dimension,” Pique told ESPN.

Could Gerard Pique become FC Barcelona’s president in the future?

On his playing days, Gerard Pique was called ‘Presi’, a nod to the possibility of him one day becoming FC Barcelona’s president. Beyond soccer, he has built a successful career in the business world.

Through his company, Kosmos, he has made major investments, including the Davis Cup, FC Andorra, and the Kings League, among others. In a 2024 interview, Pique addressed the possibility of taking on the role of FC Barcelona’s president in the future.

“If I can help in any way, I want to. It’s something I feel inside me. I don’t think now is the time. I’m focused on the Kings League…You never know in the future, but it may be an option. I never like to close doors for myself. Being president of Barcelona is a big responsibility, but it could have a big impact on the club if I decide to try it at some point. In the future I can explore that possibility, but not now,” stated Gerard Pique to Sky Sports in 2024.

Gerard Pique, a Barcelona legend and former teammate of both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, has weighed in on the eternal debate. Having played alongside both, Piqué’s insights not only come from his career but also from his firsthand observations of their work ethic and talent.

In a recent interview with Corriere dello Sport, Pique unequivocally sided with Messi, making something clear about why the Argentine outshines Ronaldo. “He was always different. Cristiano was the best of humans, Leo does not belong to this planet,” he told the outlet.

“I saw him train every day doing amazing things. There will never be another with his speed of thought. He arrived at the age of thirteen and played in the same way, both in the academy and with the first team,” he explained.

Pique and Messi were teammates at La Masia, and later at Barcelona’s first team. Under the tutelage of Pep Guardiola, they formed the backbone of one of the most dominant teams in football history, winning numerous domestic and international trophies.

Together, they lifted eight La Liga titles, six Copa del Rey trophies, three Champions League titles, and a host of other honors. Piqué’s international career was equally successful, having won the 2010 World Cup and the 2012 European Championship with Spain.

Gerard Pique’s current status

Since retiring from professional football in 2022, Piqué has turned his attention to business ventures, most notably the King’s League, a seven-a-side football league aimed at attracting younger audiences. However, in the same Corriere dello Sport interview, Piqué hinted at a potential return to football in a different capacity.

“Later on, perhaps, I’ll return to football doing something different. I’m not interested in being a coach; twenty years of routine have saturated me. I needed a change. Many years between United and Barça, playing every three days, wear you out. I have good memories, I was lucky, I won a lot, and I fulfilled my childhood dream of playing at the Camp Nou,” he told the outlet.

Throughout his career, the 37-year-old former center-back shared the field with some of the game’s biggest stars. In 2012, during an interview with RAC1, Pique weighed in on the age-old debate over soccer’s greatest player, confidently naming, Lionel Messi his teammate since age 14 at Barcelona, as his choice.

“I respect those who believe Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid’s star forward) deserves the Ballon d’Or, but I live with Leo, who’s an extraterrestrial, and Cristiano is the best of the humans. I was his teammate at Manchester United as well. He’s a hard worker, very talented, but next to Leo, he doesn’t stand a chance,” Pique commented.

These comments were made in the context of the 2012 Ballon d’Or race, which ultimately saw Lionel Messi take the award. That year, Messi shattered a world record by becoming the player with the most goals in a calendar year, scoring 91 times.

Pique went on to emphasize that Diego Maradona couldn’t achieve half of what Messi accomplished at Barcelona. “Maradona, at Barça, wasn’t even half of what Leo is. He’s been great for so many years that he already deserves to be considered the greatest player in history,” Pique added.

Pique reaffirms his statement in 2022

After Argentina’s national team clinched the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, Pique spoke with ESPN, expressing his happiness for Messi and doubling down on his view that Messi is the greatest player in soccer history.

“The soccer world wanted Messi to become a world champion. Especially for those doubters who questioned his career and said he needed a World Cup. I think there are no doubts anymore. He is the best player in soccer history. He took Barcelona to another level,” Pique stated at the time.

According to The Objective, players from FC Barcelona, in conjunction with Rubiales and UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin, devised a plan to funnel funds through the Spanish federation and UEFA to alleviate the 70% pay cut the Barcelona squad had endured.

The discussions between Luis Rubiales and Gerard Piqué began in April 2020, when the defender expressed Messi’s concern with the wage reductions due to the pandemic. Rubiales then relayed the concerns to UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin and suggested using UEFA funds to compensate the players during the pandemic. The former Spanish federation president also demanded strict confidentiality, as expressed by Lionel Messi.

The scheme

The report indicates that for three months, Piqué and Messi negotiated with UEFA and Rubiales to divert around 30 million euros from Nyon to compensate for the salary losses suffered by several Barcelona players.

Everything started accelerating on June 15, 2020, with a message from Rubiales to Gerard: “We need to revisit the issue of the funds or at least get the 30 million… to make them available to you.”

“Geri, I have a silly idea but it might work. It could be good if you (Piqué) and Leo (Messi) send a signed jersey to Ceferin… He has hinted that he doesn’t like Madrid, that he prefers Barça…,” stated Rubiales.

The Objective also revealed that four videoconferences took place where Messi was present, prioritizing that nothing was leaked.

Rubiales proposed to UEFA the diversion of 4% of the broadcast rights from all the entity’s matches for some players. This was a formula to mitigate the salary reductions that footballers were facing during the pandemic. Until May 2021, The Objective revealed new audios with conversations showing Ceferin as a potential ally of the Barça players and also the former president of the RFEF as the messenger among all parties.

“I’m saying this because he told me that next week he’s going to make a proposal… He is very cautious, but with you he has loosened up and started talking badly about Florentino Pérez and your president (Bartomeu), but he has hinted that he no longer wants Real Madrid and prefers Barcelona,” more excerpts from conversations between Piqué and Luis Rubiales about the operation.

Penalties

In Article 430 of the Spanish Penal Code, the penalties and sanctions for influence peddling in the Iberian Peninsula range from six months to two years in prison for the most severe cases.

It can also result in suspensions from official duties and economic fines ranging from the amount to double the benefit sought or obtained by those convicted.

Messi’s involvement

The Objective asserts that the Argentine was the most interested in keeping all these conversations absolutely confidential. The outlet indicates that the legal sources consulted describe a scheme that, if it had come to light in 2020, would have been “questioned from a legal and ethical standpoint.”

In an interview with talkSPORT, Gerard Pique revealed Messi didn’t pay much attention to how the Portuguese star fared nor what the media had to say about him or his success.

“He wasn’t that type of guy. He was very team-focused, although he was getting all the first page in all the newspapers and radios and TV. At the end of the day, he was very close with all of us and he was just focused on winning titles like the Champions League and these kinds of things,” Pique said.

“At the end of the day because he was the best. Then he was winning the Ballon d’Or but it wasn’t something that was a priority for him.”

Messi and Ronaldo’s Ballon d’Or battle

Messi and Ronaldo used to battle it out for the most important trophies at stake, both individual and team honors. But their competition became clearer when it came to the Ballon d’Or.

CR7 was the first of them to win it in 2008, but Leo dethroned him only a year later and went on to take the prize home in the next three years. Cristiano regained the award in 2013, going back-to-back in the next ceremony.

Messi won the 2015 Ballon d’Or, with Ronaldo receiving the accolade in the next two editions. 2017 proved to be the Portuguese striker’s last triumph, whereas Messi emerged victorious in 2019, 2021, and 2023 to set the record for most victories with 8 Ballon d’Ors.

Messi’s team-first mentality

In an interview with Spanish daily El Pais in 2012, Messi confessed he prefers to be remembered as a good friend and colleague rather than the world’s best player.

“I prefer to win titles with the team ahead of individual awards or scoring more goals than anyone else,” Messi said back then. “I am more worried about being a good person than being the best player in the world. When all this is over, what are you left with?

“When I retire, I hope I am remembered for being a decent guy. I like to score goals but I also like to have friends among the people I have played with.”

While Messi has made millions of admirers due to his ability on the field, it’s his behavior off of it what drew even more respect towards the Argentine star. It also explains why so many people, even outside his country, were rooting for La Albiceleste at the 2022 World Cup.

The rehabilitation process will make him miss the 2024 Copa America in the United States, so the player will have to wait until practically August for his official return towards the next season of the Saudi Pro League.

However, being away from the playing field, Neymar has had time to focus on other projects and attend special events. For instance, a few weeks ago, he was at the Bahrain Grand Prix where he confirmed his desire to play with Lionel Messi.

Now, a new adventure is ready for Ney as it has been confirmed that he will participate in the renowned Kings League, a project that has been promoted globally by Gerard Pique.

Neymar will be in the Kings League

The Kings League will have its first World Cup in 2024 and Mexico was selected as the official venue. 32 teams will try to hoist the trophy: 10 from Kings League Spain, 10 from Kings League Americas and 12 guests teams from around the globe.

The tournament organizers have confirmed the presence of Neymar, who, alongside the Brazilian legend of Futsal, Falcao, will be the president of one of the teams: Furia FC.

Furthermore, Allan Rodrigues, the famous streamer O Estagiario, will be a third president of Furia FC working with Neymar and Falcao. It’s important to remember that the event is scheduled from May 26th to June 9th.

The Kings League even joked about Neymar joining the tournament with a photo of the Brazilian player alongside Gerard Pique. It came with the famous phrase the Spanish defender used when Ney was supposed to stay in Barcelona after receiving an offer from PSG. “He stays.”

“When we win (Barcelona), we make it memorable forever. When they win (Real Madrid), it’s just another one. The last Champions League they won, they weren’t superior in any of the rounds and will never be remembered. The last one was a miracle because they were inferior in every round. Nobody will recall it. Maybe we win less often, but when we do, it’s more impactful.”

After Real Madrid’s 3-0 victory against Braga in the Champions League, a reporter asked Carlo Ancelotti what he thought about Gerard Pique’s recent statements.

“Well, Pique lives in his own world, which is not the world of Real Madrid fans. I can assure Pique that there isn’t a single Real Madrid supporter who can forget the 14th Champions. Not one. It’s a Champions League that will be remembered forever.”

Carlo Ancelotti extends an incredible record for Real Madrid

Following their victory at home with Braga, Real Madrid secured their spot in the Round of 16 of the 2023-2024 edition of the Champions League and remain the only club in history to have advanced through all 32 group stages of the tournament.

Among teams with a minimum of 3 group stages played in the premier European competition, Real Madrid are the only one that has never been eliminated in that round.

How many wins does Carlo Ancelotti have in the Champions League?

This Wednesday, Carlo Ancelotti surpassed Alex Ferguson and is now the coach with the most victories in the entire history of the European Cup. A total of 116 wins. Throughout his career, Ancelotti has managed 1300 official matches, conquering four Champions League titles.

How many times have Real Madrid won the Champions League?

Real Madrid have won the European Cup 14 times, making it by far the most successful team in the history of this competition. The Top 5 is completed by AC Milan with 7 titles, Bayern Munich (6), Liverpool (6) and FC Barcelona (5).

However, at the end of the event, Pique was in a phone call as he walked toward a group of children who were requesting him an autograph and a picture. Suddenly, as he approached the area where the kids were, he didn’t notice a big hole in the stage and fell right into it.

It was a scary moment for all the fans watching the leader of the Kings League. However, Gerard Pique wasn’t injured and even joked about the episode. “He asked me to sign a jersey. It was a magic trick. Pure show.”

As a consequence, the incident was seen worldwide and became a hit on social media. In fact, Pique confirmed that, fortunately, he landed on his feet avoiding any damage.

What is the Kings League Americas?

The Kings League Americas is a new version of the successful Kings League which revolutionized the way of watching soccer in Europe. There will be 12 teams competing in the continental edition.

In the last few months, the Kings League has become an unstoppable phenomenon on social media. The celebrity soccer tournament in Spain, featuring both current and former professional players, is primarily represented by the streamer Ibai Llanos and Gerard Pique.

Their matches and broadcasts, especially on platforms like Twitch, have achieved viewership numbers surpassing those of several European soccer leagues. Now, America will have a continental version.

Who are the presidents in Kings League Americas?

As it’s been a tradition in the original Kings League, each team will have a celebrity as their president in America’s edition. For example, huge Mexican stars such as Chicharito Hernandez (Olimpo United), Escorpion Dorado with Werevertumorro (Peluche Caligari) and Mercedes Roa (Club de Cuervos).

These are the other presidents of Kings League Americas: James Rodriguez and Pelicanger (Atletico Parceros), Jero Freixas (Muchachos FC), Los Futbolitos and Alofoke (Galacticos del Caribe), German Garmendia (Real Titan), Alana and Barca (Raniza FC), Zeein (Persas FC), The Donato (Los Chamos FC) and Castro (Los Aliens).

Miguel Layun, former Mexican national team player who recently announced his retirement from soccer, will be the president of Kings League Americas. Also, Marc Crosas was introduced at the end of the event as the league’s sports director.

Who is Gerard Pique?

Gerard Pique was definitely one of the best defenders in the history of FC Barcelona in a legendary list of names at the position such as Carles Puyol, Rafael Marquez, Ronald Koeman, Dani Alves, Joan Segarra or Migueli.

He went to play for Manchester United as a youngster in 2004, but, when he returned to Barcelona four years later, Pique became a key piece for Pep Guardiola in the greatest version of the Spanish club.

Pique won everything at Barcelona including 3 Champions League, 8 Spanish leagues, 7 Copa del Rey, 3 UEFA Super Cups, 3 FIFA Club World Cups and the famous Sextete, six titles in the same year (2009).

At 36, this is what Leo was looking for after two difficult years in Paris. Now, Messi fins himself in a place where he’s beloved, with teammates who look up to him and fans who fill in seats to watch him play.

It is a new experience in his life, different from any other league he has played in. However, it looks like this idea had been in his mind for a while, or at least that’s what Gerard Pique suggests.

Pique reveals Messi thought for a long time about MLS move

“Years ago in the dressing room, he already mentioned the fact that when he stopped competing in Europe his idea was to go to the United States,” Pique told Argentine outlet Ole.

“Even more to a market like Miami where I think he’s very comfortable. In two games he already showed it will be a league he’s going to enjoy a lot. Busi (Busquets) has also gone there, Jordi Alba… they’re going to have a good time.”

Messi finally got what he wanted, which is to try a new experience in a league that hopes to build on his figure to continue growing. With the 7x Ballon d’Or winner on board, MLS is getting unprecedented levels of attention.