Legendary Barcelona defender recalls the player who humiliated him in La Liga – ‘We made him international’

Legendary Barcelona defender Gerard Pique has shared a striking memory from his playing days, revealing the name of the player who once humiliated him in a La Liga match. 

Speaking during a public appearance alongside former Real Madrid defender Marcelo, Pique recounted a league clash from the 2011-2012 season at El Sadar, where Barcelona lost 3-2 to Osasuna.

“In Pamplona, where we lost 3-2 to Osasuna, there was a very tall striker who I think was Croatian,” Pique explained as reported by SPORT. 

Who was Pique referring to?

At first glance, some assumed he might be referring to Ante Budimir, the current Osasuna striker, but that was far from the truth. 

At the time, Budimir was still playing for NK Inker in Croatia and was only 22 years old. Pique went on to describe the harsh conditions of the match: 

“It was very cold and the grass was like concrete because there was no under-soil heating. They wore indoor football shoes with multi-studs.” 

Dejan Lekic scored two goals against Barcelona. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

The Barcelona players, using their usual boots, struggled to adapt.

“Never in my life had I experienced the frustration of not being able to start or stop because the studs wouldn’t grip.”

Dejan Lekic’s memorable performance

The player in question was Dejan Lekic, a Serbian footballer who enjoyed a globetrotting career. 

He played for clubs including Red Star Belgrade, Real Sporting, Eibar, Girona, Mallorca, Reus Deportiu, Cadiz, and had two seasons at Osasuna between 2010 and 2012.

The striker who caused Pique and his teammates so much trouble scored twice that day. 

“We made him international. He was Ballon d’Or that day,” Pique said, highlighting how even Carles Puyol struggled to contain the Osasuna number 9.

During his time in La Liga, Lekic scored six goals in 64 appearances, with two coming in the memorable match Pique recalled.