Gerard Piqué Hit With Heavy Ban Following Referee Altercation
Former Barcelona and Spain star Gerard Piqué has been handed a severe disciplinary sanction by the Spanish football federation (RFEF) following a confrontation with match officials. The 39-year-old, who owns FC Andorra through his holding company Kosmos, has been slapped with a six-match suspension and a two-month disqualification from all official football activity.
The sanctions stem from an incident during and after FC Andorra’s 1-0 home defeat to Albacete on May 1. The loss was a significant blow for the club, bringing a halt to a six-game unbeaten streak that included five victories, leaving them in 10th place in the Segunda Division standings.
According to the official referee’s report submitted by Alonso De Ena Wolf, Piqué repeatedly challenged the officiating performance at both halftime and full-time. The RFEF Discipline Committee classified Piqué’s behavior as “mild violence” and “blatant and public acts that undermine the dignity and decorum of sport.”
The report details inflammatory remarks allegedly made by the 2010 World Cup winner. Piqué reportedly warned the officiating team about their safety, telling referee De Ena Wolf to “leave with an escort, they might attack you.” He further suggested that officials would face a more volatile environment in other regions, stating: “In another country they’d beat you up, but here in Andorra we’re a civilised country.”
Piqué is not the only club representative facing consequences. Sporting director Jaume Nogues received identical sanctions—a six-match ban and two-month suspension—for alleged insulting comments directed at the refereeing team.
The RFEF also penalized the organization itself, fining FC Andorra 1,500 euros and ordering a partial closure of its stadium for two matches.
FC Andorra has since pushed back against the ruling. In a statement released Saturday, the club expressed “strong disagreement with the content of the referee’s report,” claiming that certain recorded aspects do not “truthfully or accurately reflect” the conversations that took place between club representatives and the officials.
