Pique made the claim in an emotional interview following Barca’s home match against Las Palmas, which was played behind closed doors as a protest on a day when violent scenes broke out during Catalonia’s unofficial independence referendum.
According to Catalan health officials, more than 750 people were injured as security forces used rubber bullets and baton charges as they clashed with protesters.
Pique, having been pictured casting his vote in the election earlier in the day, played the full match against Las Palmas before speaking to reporters about the decision to go ahead with the fixture, his international future and Sunday’s events in the region.