November 3, 2022
The brief from today:
Pique announces retirement
Barcelona defender, Gerard Pique, made an unexpected announcement that he would be retiring after his club’s next home match this weekend. Pique, one of the most decorated defenders of his generation having won the: World Cup, European Championship, Champions League, La Liga, and Premier League titles, has been on the fringes of the Barca starting lineup of late, and has now chosen to call it a day. At 35, the Spain international may have been able to continue playing, but in his announcement he made it clear that once his time at Barcelona ended so would his playing days. He won’t be lacking things to do as he has actually been quite busy off the pitch with his business Kosmos. While Pique has been commended for not allowing his financial interests to distract from his commitments as a player, that doesn’t mean he hasn’t been active in both areas. Kosmos has been in the news in recent years after major deals were agreed between them and the International Tennis Federation for $3 billion, while also brokering the agreement to stage the Spanish Super Cup in Saudi Arabia. The Kosmos expertise is in reimagining sporting events, and by the figures involved in their various partnerships it’s clear that other parties believe in their abilities. The only thing remaining before Pique is officially retired is the agreement of terms for his contract termination with Barcelona. In these discussions, Barcelona president, Joan Laporta, has stated that despite an agreement not being reached thus far, Pique is doing a lot to assist the club during a time of financial distress. It wouldn’t be the first such gesture from the 35-year-old as he was one of the players who agreed to take a 70 percent pay cut when COVID hit in order to ease the burden on Barca. While he won’t be featuring as a player anymore, Pique is unlikely to disappear from public discourse as his business acumen is bound to keep him in the news on some level.
Pique has been spending more time on the bench of late, and has now decided to call it quits
Tevez leaves Rosario Central
Former Argentina attacker, Carlos Tevez, recently retired from playing in June, but he didn’t spend too much time resting. The same month he hung up his boots, the 38-year-old took the coaching position at Argentine first division club, Rosario Central. With the domestic season recently concluding, and Rosario finishing 20th out of 28 teams, Tevez abruptly announced his plans to leave the club. During his brief five-month spell, the team could only muster 32 points out of a possible 81 from the 27 matches Tevez was in charge for. This wasn’t his reason for leaving, however, as the the current club presidential elections—specifically the conduct of nominees—is what provoked his decision. With various candidates using his name as part of their platform, Tevez felt drawn into a political situation he had no interest in, and that seems to be what prompted his departure. While his first official managerial position was short-lived, it will be fascinating to see what the ex-Boca, Manchester United, and Juventus striker chooses to do next.
Tevez (right) during his short tenure as Rosario Central coach