Adriano: Unfair to punish Pique over reaction to red card

5 Mar 2012 18:30:00

The Brazilian feels that his Blaugrana team-mate's comments has been blown out of all proportion and suggested that some of their rivals have escaped sanction for far worse crimes

Barcelona's Adriano is adamant that team-mate Gerard Pique should not face any sanction over his reaction to his sending off against Sporting Gijon on Saturday night.

Pique was sent off for a professional foul in the early stages of the second half at Camp Nou after tangling with Miguel de las Cuevas and the Spain international suggested afterwards that his dismissal might have been "premeditated", given that he had berated referee Carlos Velasco Carballo for not awarding the Blaugrana a penalty in the first period.

Pique's comments have provoked outrage among La Liga officials and the defender is now facing an extended ban from the game.

However, Adriano feels that the centre-back is being harshly treated and alluded to the fact that Real Madrid defender Pepe escaped a ban for his allegedly deliberate stamp on Barca's Lionel Messi during the first leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final at the Santiago Bernabeu in January and that Jose Mourinho reportedly confronted the referee in the car park at Camp Nou a week later.

"We always try to treat the referees fairly. We never make things difficult for them on or off the field, and a lot of worse things have gone unpunished," the Brazilian told reporters on Monday.

“Too much is being spoken about Gerard because he hasn't done anything ... one foul, and he complained because he thought the red card was unfair.

“I think it's an exaggeration that they want to sanction Gerard."

Meanwhile, while Barca remain 10 points in arrears of Madrid at the summit of La Liga, Adrian insists that they have not given up hope of retaining their title.

"We will keep fighting until the end of this league - and we won't give it away cheaply," he declared. "We have to keep picking up three points in every game."

Barcelona face Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League on Wednesday night before returning to La Liga action away to Racing next weekend.

Since November, Goal.com has been publishing exclusive extracts from Graham Hunter's highly-anticipated new book, 'Barca: The Making of the Greatest Team in the World'. The very last extract, which was published last Friday, looks at Andres Iniesta's risky return from injury in the 2009 Champions League Final and how he was described by Wayne Rooney as the 'best midfielder in the world'. Don't miss it!