OMNISPORT

Barcelona centre-half Gerard Pique has dismissed suggestions he could walk away from international football and has vowed to defy those who have booed him while on Spain duty.

Pique's outspoken support for Catalan independence, as well as his red card for an X-rated outburst against a referee's assistant in the Spanish Super Cup second leg against Athletic Bilbao, has made him a target for a section of Spain fans and he was jeered during last weekend's victory over Slovakia.

The situation has reached such a level that the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) were forced to switch the friendly against England from the Santiago Bernabeu - the home of Barca's arch-rivals Real Madrid - to Alicante due to fears over the hostility that could be aimed at the former Manchester United defender.

Reports in Barcelona on Thursday claimed Pique was ready to walk away from his national side but he insisted at a press conference that was not the case.

He said: "No. I would never do that. That would imply people booing me are right. I'm going to keep on playing as long as the coach keeps picking me. I'm not going to let people down."

Pique admitted he was a touch baffled by the fans' reaction towards him but blamed it on the intense Barca-Madrid rivalry.

"I think they [Spain fans] whistle me because of the Barca-Madrid rivalry," he said. "But I won't change. The rivalry is passionate and when one team is doing well, the other is doing badly. So let's hope things go as badly as possible for Real Madrid. And those who don't like it will have to put up with me until I retire!

"I love Barcelona, but that doesn't stop me having a fantastic relationship with the Real Madrid players. Iker [Casillas] sent me flowers when my second child was born and I told him I hoped they would let in four [against Atletico] - and they went and let in four the next day. We still talk about that!

"I watched the Madrid-Juve game with a [Gianluigi] Buffon shirt on. I want Madrid to lose always. I love my club and nobody should expect me to change or ask for forgiveness."

And he added: "When I get booed by Madrid fans at the Bernabeu, it is like music to my ears!"

"I've always played as hard as I can for the under-15s, under-16s, ujnder-17s, all the way through to the national team.

"The rivalry is always going to exist. Some people accept me, other people will just have to put up with me until the day I retire."