Gerard Pique, the owner of FC Andorra, has been handed a six-match suspension by the Spanish football federation following his complaints regarding refereeing during a second division match.
The former Spain and Barcelona star is also banned from acting as the club’s owner for two months. This stems from incidents during a 1-0 home defeat by Albacete on 1 May.
FC Andorra itself faced penalties, including a €1,500 fine and a partial stadium closure for two matches.
The federation quoted Pique telling a match official: “In another country, they would tear you apart, but here in Andorra we are a civilized country.”
Pique and an investment group acquired FC Andorra in 2018, when the club, based in the small Pyrenean nation between Spain and France, was languishing in the fifth division. Founded in 1942, the club had historically played in lower tiers.
Andorra currently sit in 10th place in the second division standings.
Pique is best known for his time with Barcelona, having played for the Catalan club between 2008 and 2022 after starting his senior career at Manchester United.
During his 14 years at the Nou Camp, Pique won La Liga nine times and the Champions League on three occasions.
He also played a key role in Spain winning Euro 2008 and the World Cup two years later – his nation’s first global triumph.
After retiring in 2022, Pique became president and owner of the Kings League in Barcelona.
The football league is made up of owners from different social media platforms such as Twitch, YouTube, Instagram and TikTok.
Away from the football pitch, Pique was also in a relationship with Colombian pop star Shakira between 2010 and 2022. They have two sons together, Milan and Sasha.
They released a joint statement in June 2022, announcing that they were separating.