La Liga: Xavi reacts as Barca fans boo Gerard Pique

Xavi is upset that Pique was jeered by Barcelona supporters on Thursday night as he entered the game against Villarreal in La Liga.

The veteran Pique has had a challenging season, missing out on most of the action and frequently struggling when he did play.

The centre-back made a terrible error against Inter last week, which allowed the Italians to score and all but eliminated the Catalans from the Champions League at the first hurdle.

Pique was unsurprisingly dropped after that mistake, but this week he played from the bench as his team defeated Villarreal at home. But when he did, the loyal Camp Nou supporters let him know exactly what they thought of him by booing loudly.

That infuriated Xavi, who also called for unity and stated that his player’s conduct continues to be a “gleaming example.”

“In pre-season, I asked for unity,” the boss said after the match. “It’s a moment to be united: the squad, the staff, the board, the fans, media. Whether he plays or not, the only thing I ask from Pique is that he is an example in the dressing room, and he is a gleaming example.

“I am saying this because he deserves it. He has never shown a bad attitude. He is an example as a captain and the fans should know that.”

When asked why he thought Pique was booed, Xavi said he didn’t care about the reason.

“I don’t know and it doesn’t interest me much,” he answered. “He is an example for the whole dressing room and training really well, that’s positive.”