Barcelona's Gerard Piqué announces Spain retirement after 2018 World Cup

Gerard Piqué will no longer be a Spanish national team player. Two years from now.

"After World Cup 2018 I will leave the Spanish national team. I had this pre-planned, it's not taken in the heat of the moment. I've always given everything on the pitch and although some have been grateful, others don't want me here."

Source: Diario Sport

So that's it: Piqué will call it a career for La Roja after the 2018 World Cup in Russia, and his reason is quite clear: he's had enough of the abuse and unfair criticism from fans and media.

The Barcelona star was born in Catalonia, and he has always been in favor of Catalan independence from Spain. Madrid based media and fans absolutely hate him for it, and Gerard has been booed out of every building he plays in with Spain.

The latest stupid controversy happened on Sunday, when Piqué innocently decided to cut off the long sleeves from the white uniform Spain wore in the World Cup Qualifying match against Albania to make himself more comfortable. Somehow, someway, the haters thought he did because the sleeves had the Spanish colors on them, which wasn't the case.

The Spanish FA had to release a statement in favor of Piqué, using a picture of the Spain uniform with long sleeves that showed there were no colors of the Spanish flag on them. This stupid incident is just the latest in a long list of very dumb controversies people have created around Piqué, and he won't take this anymore.

He'll probably play the best football of his life for the next two years in Spanish colors, and I really do hope Spain win the World Cup with a last-second header from Piqué in 2018. That would be the perfect ending and a perfect way to retire with a middle finger to the idiots.

Keep being you, Geri.