The political frankness of Barcelona footballer Gerard Piqué has reached Germany. The country's second most important newspaper, Süddeutsche Zeitung, has reported the comments made by the senior Barça player on Saturday about the injustice of the Catalan independence trial.
The newspaper explains that, after his team's second away victory against Real Madrid in four days, Piqué spoke out, also for the second time in a row, about the Catalan trial, and the pro-independence defendants who have already spent many months in jail. "The political prisoners are not guilty," he said.
Der @FCBarcelona raubt @RealMadrid derzeit alle Hoffnungen - Innenverteidiger @3gerardpique stellt den Erfolg der Katalanen in einen größeren, gesellschaftlichen Kontext, berichtet @elcaceres aus Madrid. https://t.co/cxvvkwkG6e
— Süddeutsche Zeitung (@SZ) March 3, 2019
Süddeutsche Zeitung recalls that after the victory of Barça on Wednesday, knocking Madrid out of the Spanish cup, Piqué commented that the media should give as much attention to the "highly unjust trial of the political prisoners" as it did to controversial refereeing decisions. The country would be much better for it, said the Barça centre-back.
In addition, the Munich-based newspaper comments on the yellow ribbons which "many Catalans wear on their lapels" and notes in its report that the political prisoners are being prosecuted for rebellion, misuse of public funds and disobedience.