November 5, 2022
The brief from today:
Pique forgoes massive payout
The announcement two days ago from Barcelona defender, Gerard Pique, that he would be retiring this weekend drew significant fanfare, but there are more details emerging now that deserve equal attention. In order to terminate his contract after the match this weekend, a financial compensation package had to be agreed between Pique and Barcelona. Such discussions can be typically drawn out with involved parties averse to conceding much, but in Pique’s case—a lifelong Barca fan who came up through the club’s youth system—his approach has shown is loyalty and love for the team. The reports filtering out of Spain today are suggesting that the Spain international has agreed to forfeit roughly €30 million in funds owed to him by the club. With Barcelona struggling financially since the summer of 2021, this gesture by Pique is meant to grant the club a lifeline—especially in the same week they were unable to qualify for the knockout rounds of the Champions League, which would have provided much needed revenue. Cynics may say that Pique is already financially comfortable, and leaving that kind of money on the table isn’t difficult for him, but such an argument holds very little water. That level of compensation is no trivial amount, but it isn’t just the money, it’s the gesture on his part to consider the best interests of the club above his own. In an era where club loyalty is almost nonexistent compared to previous years in the sport, it is certainly refreshing to see the way Pique has demonstrated the authenticity of his love for Barcelona through this act.
Canada receive massive blow
Mexico 1986 was the last time Canada managed to qualify for the World Cup, that is until this year when they secured their place amongst the 32 teams going to Qatar. The national team was impressive throughout CONCACAF qualifying eventually winning 8 of their 14 matches, which allowed them to top the standings ahead of perennial rivals Mexico and the US. Following the World Cup draw, which placed them in a group against Croatia, Morocco, and Belgium, the Canadians were just counting down the days until the end of their 36-year World Cup drought. Today, however, they received some bad news after their star player, Bayern Munich defender, Alphonso Davies, injured his hamstring during the Bundesliga match against Hertha Berlin. Davies left the match in the 64th minute, but the severity of his injury was unknown until Bayern coach, Julian Nagelmann told the media after the match that the team doctor said it was very likely a “fiber tear” in his hamstring. While the club intends to follow protocol and perform conclusive scans to understand the full extent of the injury, the typical recovery time for an ailment like that is around 4 to 6 weeks. If that news is confirmed, Canada are bound to be without arguably their best and most influential player at the World Cup. Fans of the national team will surely be hoping for either a much less severe diagnosis, and/or a rapid recovery, but with the World Cup now roughly two weeks away, neither of those options seem plausible.
Alphonso Davies may not be able to feature for Canada at the World Cup after his injury today