Pique Concedes He Knew Neymar Was Leaving Barca Before He Posted Infamous Instagram Pic

Barcelona centre-half Gerard Pique has admitted to already knowing that his former Barcelona teammate Neymar would be leaving the club when he posted an Instagram photo claiming that the Brazilian would stay.

'Se queda' (he stays) read the caption on Pique's post only days before Neymar made the switch to Paris Saint-Germain. But the defender has now revealed that he knew all along that Neymar would depart the Nou Camp:

"I don't feel like I've been tricked," Pique explained ahead of Barcelona's Super Cup tie against Real Madrid, via Goal.

"Now that everything has taken place I can explain how it all went down.

"At [Lionel] Messi's wedding, Neymar already had this idea that he would leave."

Neymar moved to France in a world record £198m transfer - the Parisians triggering the release clause in his Barcelona contract, but Pique admits that the post was his final attempt at keeping the 25-year-old in La Liga.

"The day that I posted the 'se queda' tweet, I already knew that he was 100 per cent leaving, but it was my final shot.

"He was annoyed at me. I'm sure he had his reasons. In the end, we cannot judge him as he has taken a brave decision. He performed really well for us and has now left money in the bank, while we remember him fondly."

Sunday saw Neymar make his PSG debut. The Brazilian shone as PSG strolled to a 3-0 victory away to Guingamp; Neymar scoring his first goal and registering his first assist in an inspiring debut.

The same could not be said for Barca. The Catalans fell to a 3-1 defeat to a ten-man Madrid, Neymar being sorely missed in the Nou Camp - Pique himself scoring an own goal in the process.