Piqué: 'Playing live on US TV means a lot to us'

Gerard Piqué has spoken live on Good Morning America on US TV channel ABC, where he told the leading breakfast show in the country about the start of the new Liga season. 

Spanish championship games are being screened live and free-to-air in the United States for the first time ever thanks to ABC, which now shares the rights to screen Liga games with the thematic sports network ESPN.

The Barça v Real Sociedad game on the opening weekend is one such fixture. "It means a lot and is very important for us to be shown live in the United States” said the Barça centre back. “We’ll try to win the game against Real Sociedad, and the league too.” 

Piqué was naturally also asked about life after Leo Messi. "He’s the best footballer of all time, we have lost a lot with his departure” he admitted. “But we have to adapt and play as well as we can without him, starting with the game against Real Sociedad.”