Pique admits Barcelona are 'a bit broken’ despite 3-0 Juventus victory
Pique has admitted that hopes are not high for the season ahead due to the loss of one of the game’s greatest ever players.
Gerard Pique has said that Barcelona are "a bit broken", despite recording a 3-0 win over Juventus to win the Joan Gamper Trophy.
It was an emotional evening at Camp Nou, with a press conference having taken place earlier in the day in which Lionel Messi bade a tearful goodbye to the club.
Pique has admitted that hopes are not high for the season ahead due to the loss of one of the game's greatest ever players.
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"The team was honestly a bit broken because of Messi's departure, we will lose the magic in attack, but we have to move forward, the fans expect a lot from us," he said.
"We lose the best player of all time. It has hurt us and it hurt him too. I don't know the whole story, the two parties have said that it has been a matter of numbers... The management of the last years hasn't helped, but history shows that we will get up.
"People really want to come to the stadium and we have to cheer the fans. We have to start winning and give them nice things. We need the fans with us."
On the field, meanwhile, Barcelona responded positively against a Juventus team that contained such stars as Cristiano Ronaldo, Alvaro Morata and Matthijs de Ligt.
Indeed, they took the lead after just three minutes when Memphis Depay, one of those now expected to step up into the place of Messi, found the net.
In the second half, goals from Martin Braithwaite and Riqui Puig secured a one-sided victory.
The real test for Barca will follow when La Liga starts next week with a home encounter against Real Sociedad.
