Gerard Pique on Barcelona and Real Madrid's shared WhatsApp group: 'all we do is talk s**t to one another'

The defender said that he created the WhatsApp group earlier this season, when Barcelona had established a healthy lead at the top of LaLiga, in order to tease his Spanish teammates

Sergio Ramos and Gerard Pique in training together with the Spanish team (Getty)

Gerard Pique has revealed that Barcelona and Real Madrid’s Spanish players have a WhatsApp group in which “all we do is talk s**t to one another” and joke around.

Pique’s revelation contradicts the long-standing assumption that Spain’s national team suffers from a rift due to the historic rivalry between Barcelona and Madrid.

The defender, writing in the Players’ Tribune, said that he created the WhatsApp group earlier this season, when Barcelona had established a healthy lead at the top of LaLiga, in order to tease his Spanish teammates.

He said: “I'm going to let you in on a little inside information. Everybody knows that footballers have text groups on WhatsApp. I have one just for my friends from home, and I have another just for my Barca team-mates.

“But my favourite one might surprise you. Earlier this season, when we were already eight or nine points clear of Real Madrid in the league, I started a special group for some of the guys on the Spanish national team who play for Real Madrid and Barcelona.

“If you only read what the media says, you would think that we hate one another. But, in fact, we all get along really well, and we text back and forth about tactics and football philosophies and even the books we're reading.

“No, come on, of course I'm joking! All we do in that group is talk s**t to one another about Barca and Real!

“It's the best. We're just like little kids. And the truth is, it's especially hilarious for me right now, because now we're up 15 points on Real in the league. So I'm getting very creative in my responses.”

Barcelona’s Spanish contingency found themselves the butt of the joke last season as Real Madrid stormed to domestic and European success, but now the shoe is on the other foot for Pique and his Barca teammates.

“So I'm texting them in the WhatsApp group, ‘Come on guys, why so serious?!’ Then I put a little crying emoji, and a laughing emoji. I even made a special name for the group. It's called: CONGRATULATIONS.

“I can joke around with those guys, because they are my brothers on the Spanish national team. We might hate each other’s clubs, but we are all playing for the same country, with the same dream, and that’s something that I’m very, very proud of.”