Opinion: Gerard Pique has dragged himself to the top

Opinion: Gerard Pique has dragged himself to the top

When Gerard Pique said publicly that he was no longer one of the best defenders in the world, he did two things: speak the truth and set the bar for a new challenge. 

Pique's era at Barcelona, as an adult, has had three year cycles. The first cycle, after signing from Manchester United, covered 2008 until 2011, and there were many factors that fell in his favour.. 

He arrived and was not immeditately a key part of the defence, meaning that expectations were not too high. Teachers like Carles Puyol, Rafa Marquez, Eric Abidal and Gabriel Milito showed Pique not just how to play football, but the attitude he needed to have. They taught him, corrected him. Pep Guardiola had unbounded confidence in Pique and the sum of all these factors led to him becoming a truly great defender. 

The following three years have been disappointing. Pique started a decline which seemed impossible to stop. The reasons for this he knows better than anyone, and it's not for me to list them. The decline was sharp and when Pique stepped forward and admitted it, that was important for his recovery. 

To look at it right now, Pique has started a new positive cycle. We cannot know the precise duration of it, nor the quality level, although indications are encouraging. His play, even when Barcelona were not impressing as a whole has been good.

Leaving aside the unsurpassable Lionel Messi, Pique is today, perhaps, the most important player that Luis Enrique has at Barcelona, and he's returned to be one of the best centre-backs in the world. 

Regarding his first cycle, brilliant and exciting, the circumstances now are very different. Seven years later he is not the thrilling youngster that nobody expected big things from, and neither is he surrounded by teachers who can improve and protect him. Now it is Pique that gives the team its image, and has to behave both on the pitch and off it. It was difficult and impossible to forecast, but his return to the top after a long, bad spell has been one of the highlights of the season. And it confirms that the life of a sports star is never linear.