Gerard Pique is the best president Barcelona never had

To think that once upon a time, most culers considered Gerard Pique to be a bit of a clown.

The Halloween prank is one that sticks in the memory, and most of us will have lost count of the amount of times Carles Puyol had to robustly admonish his sidekick.

How times change.

Now one of the elder statesmen in the side, Geri has really grown into the role and its responsibility. And then some.

Getting Rakuten on board as sponsors has to count as one of the greatest acts of boardroom mastery ever undertaken by a player still plying his trade.

In effect, he was showing Josep Maria Bartomeu et al the way, and his more recent acts show that he is a genuine president in waiting.

Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images

Even if we take into account that desperate times call for desperate measures, Pique didn’t have to take a pay cut, and a substantial one at that.

By taking the lead on the issue, he’s made it difficult for others not to follow suit and, let’s not put too fine a point on it, may well have saved the day football-wise as far as the club are concerned in the process.

Perhaps the cost saving is a drop in the ocean as far as the true debt of the club is concerned, however, aside from the financial impact of his generosity, it’s the attitude that shows a true commitment to the club.

He is, I would suggest, beyond reproach.

Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images

Sure, there’ll be times when he’ll make mistakes on the pitch and be lambasted for them, but not one person who bleeds blaugrana can have any doubt whatsoever that Gerard Pique doesn’t have FC Barcelona’s best interests at heart.

His goal against La Real was a great way to begin a new era, and his words after the match were positive, upbeat and exactly what the club needs.

Lest we forget that he isn’t just a pretty face either. Here we have a man who is also the astutest of businessmen, who doesn’t mind taking the odd calculated risk, but who, were he to become president in future, is unlikely to ever sell the club down the river.

Whenever he decides to make a play for the top job - as most are sure he will - he’ll surely be one of the most popular of presidents that the club have ever had.

Maybe he’ll not cure all of the clubs many ills, but we can be assured he’ll have a damn good go at trying... and that should be good enough for everyone.