Pique pokes fun at ´Espanyol de Cornella´ after Copa victory

Gerard Pique poked fun at Espanyol after Barcelona’s Copa del Rey quarter-final second leg, suggesting Quique Sanchez Flores’ side should not be classed as their city rivals.

After losing the first leg 1-0 at the RCDE Stadium on January 17, Barca turned the tie around on Thursday with a 2-0 victory courtesy of goals from Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi.

Ernesto Valverde’s men join Sevilla, Valencia and Leganes – who knocked out Real Madrid – in the last four.

And Pique could not resist a jibe at their Catalan rivals as Barca celebrated progression at Camp Nou, naming them Espanyol de Cornella – a suburb of the Barcelona metropolitan area – rather than Espanyol de Barcelona.

“It isn’t that we suffered so much in this game, but Espanyol de Cornella always make it difficult for us,” he said, as quoted by Marca.

“We started very well with the two goals and it is a result that pleases us.”

Barça v Espanyol in
Which makes you go ? pic.twitter.com/UVrhkdaduh

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) January 26, 2018

When questioned on the new name he had given Flores’ side, the Spain international added: “Yes, Espanyol de Cornella, they’re from Cornella right?”

Thursday’s victory also saw the debut of record signing Philippe Coutinho, a substitute performance that impressed central defender Pique.

“He [Coutinho] has a very ‘Barca’ style,” added the 30-year-old. “In many ways he looks like Andres [Iniesta] and he can help us a lot.”