Barcelona defender Gerard Pique has accused his former Manchester United team mates of being overweight and suggested that the Premier League club does not monitor the player’s diet.
The defender joined United from Barcelona in 2004 but rejoined his former club last summer having failed to secure a first team spot after four seasons in England.
He told Sport: “At United there were some incredible things happening.
Everyone was allowed to eat what they wanted and one must remember that the English diet is just like people say.
“Every two weeks we had to be checked out on a machine that measured the amount of fat we had in our bodies.
“It would be a surprise that none of the players broke the machine because of the amount of hamburgers and beer they had.
“The gaffer, as Ferguson is known in Manchester, spoke in English with a Scottish accent but it sounded like Chinese to me.
“But I was not the worst and there are players still there who do not understand him yet.”
Despite this, Pique went on to explain that the move to Manchester when he was just 17-years-old was good for his career.
He added: “I had always lived with my parents in Barcelona. I had my friends from school and from Barca.
“I was from a generation of players that had won everything at youth level and the change was difficult. It was not bad though, because in Manchester I became a player.”
Pique admits that his return to Barca was a dream come true.
He added: “Playing here makes me proud. It is what I have always wanted. Few people are such big Barca fans as me and this is my childhood dream.
“But in this team there are many fans of the club, including Carles Puyol, Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Victor Valdes and Sergio Busquets.”
Pique named current boss Pep Guardiola as the best manager he has worked under.
“Guardiola is the most modern coach I have worked under,” he said. “He is also the most precise and the most obsessed about the game. It is a pleasure to be in his squad.
“There are thousands of examples of why he is so good. The detail he puts into practice sessions, the information he has on the opposition, the constant motivation.”
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