Gerard Pique: FC Andorra owner banned for two months after argument with referee

Gerard Pique has been banned for six matches and suspended from official football activities for two months by the Spanish Football Federation after an altercation with the referee.

The former Spain and Barcelona star, who retires from the game in 2022, is now the co-owner of FC Andorra and the dispute took place during his side’s 1-0 defeat to Albacete last week.

Referee Alonso de Ena Wolf quoted Pique in his post-match report as saying that he asked him to “leave with an escort so that nobody attacks you” and that “in other countries they will beat you, but here in Andorra we are a civilized country”.

A disciplinary committee said Pique’s two-month ban was “for infamous and public acts that undermine the dignity and prestige of the sport, based on facts documented in the referee’s report”.

The 39-year-old was also given a separate six-match ban for “acts involving minor violence towards a referee”.

Other members of the Andorran staff were also involved in the conflict.

Club president Ferran Vilaseca was given a four-month ban, and sporting director Jaume Nogues was banned.

Andorra are currently tenth in the Second Division table.

Pique won nine La Liga titles and three Champions League trophies for Barcelona and was part of Spain’s World Cup and European Championships in 2010 and 2012.