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Former Barcelona defender Gerard Pique has been banned by the Spanish football federation (RFEF) for six matches and given a two-month suspension from all football-related activity due to violence directed at referees during and after FC Andorra\u2019s 1-0 Spanish second-division loss to Albacete on Friday.<\/p>\n
The 39-year-old, whose holding company Kosmos owns FC Andorra, was also suspended for two months for \u201cblatant and public acts that undermine the dignity and decorum of sport\u201d.<\/p>\n
The home defeat brought to an end FC Andorra\u2019s six-game unbeaten run, of which five were wins, leaving them 10th in the Segunda Division. Sporting director Jaume Nogues received identical sanctions for alleged insulting comments to the refereeing team.<\/p>\n
In the referees\u2019 report, it was alleged that Pique \u201ccontinuously\u201d raised concerns with the officiating performance, and told referee Alonso De Ena Wolf to \u201cleave under escort so that you aren\u2019t attacked\u201d.<\/p>\n
The report also alleged that the 2010 World Cup winner said to the reporting officer: \u201cIn another country they\u2019d beat you up, but here in Andorra we\u2019re a civilised country\u201d.<\/p>\n
FC Andorra published a statement on Saturday in which the club expressed \u201cits strong disagreement with the content of the referee\u2019s report\u201d, adding that \u201ccertain aspects recorded in the report do not truthfully or accurately reflect the development of events or the statements made during the conversations held between the referee and the club\u2019s representatives\u201d.<\/p>\n
The club demanded \u201cthat the report be rectified and that an exact transcription of what truly occurred be provided\u201d, adding that they reserved the right \u201cto take the appropriate legal actions to defend its interests, as well as the good name and reputation of the club and its representatives\u201d.<\/p>\n
The federation\u2019s disciplinary committee concluded on Wednesday that, due to the threatening nature of the alleged remarks and their context \u2014 in public following several similar incidents during that match, according to the referee\u2019s report \u2014 the comments were considered \u201cflagrant acts\u201d that undermined the \u201cdignity and decorum of sport\u201d.<\/p>\n
In addition to Pique\u2019s personal sanctions, the club was fined \u20ac1,500 ($1,800; \u00a31,300) and handed a partial stadium closure for two matches, limited to the presidential box and its adjoining VIP facilities. The report also said the committee would consider a three-point deduction from the final league table if FC Andorra committed another rules breach.<\/p>\n
Pique started and ended his career at Barcelona, where he made 616 appearances from 2008-2022 after graduating from La Masia, the club\u2019s famed academy.<\/p>\n
The centre-back won nine La Liga titles and three Champions Leagues at Camp Nou, after four seasons at Manchester United in which he won a Premier League title and the Champions League, despite only playing 23 times before returning to Barca.<\/p>\n
His company Kosmos took over Andorra in 2018, and has also created the King\u2019s League seven-a-side football tournaments, popular with stars such as Barcelona\u2019s Lamine Yamal.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n