It looks like both Pep Guardiola and Gerard Pique are more beloved then hated amongst football professionals, anyone who has worked with both of them has mostly good things to say about them both. The two of them have been subjects of harsh criticism in the past couple of weeks, one for losing against Barcelona and the other one for his political views about his native Catalonia.
Former Spain manager Vicente del Bosque, wanted to come out and defend both men from any kind of scrutiny, he told Cadena COPE that: "[Guardiola] was a champion with Bayern Munich, we cannot judge him by his last game. He has done different things, has been leading others and then many teams have imitated him. There are political grounds in criticism of Guardiola, but we have to appreciate what Guardiola means in world football. His opinions have just hurt him in Spain."
With Pique, Del Bosque also said that: "It is a matter that [Pique] has explained well enough. He always had good behavior and came to train in the right manner. He is playful, cheerful, he likes to joke and does not like to create problems. I have never heard him discussing independence, as with [Carles] Puyol and Xavi [Hernandez]. I think he should, and will, go down in history as a great player for Spain. He has earned the right to decide whether to continue or not."
Photo credit: Manchester City FC