Gerard Pique calls out 'smoke & mirrors' at Barcelona as club legend insists Champions League success is unrealistic for cash-strapped La Liga giants

The Catalan giants have struggled with their finances in the last few years and are around €200 million ($217m) over their La Liga-imposed annual spending, according to ESPN. Now, Pique has urged his former club to disclose their correct financial condition to the fans and be "honest and transparent".

Speaking on Ibai Lalnos' Twitch channel, the former Spain international said it is unrealistic for Barca to target success in the Champions League given their current situation off the pitch. "The fans want honesty and transparency," he said. "If the reality is tough, then say it. What you cannot do is sell smoke and mirrors and say we're going to win the Champions League if you then don't have the money to compete. I don't know the club's situation at the moment - from what I can gather it doesn't seem that good - but what the socios [members] value is being told the truth to their faces."

The Blaugrana legend further suggested that the Catalan side should put faith in their famed youth academy, La Masia, for the next couple of years instead of spending heavily to sign big-name players and run up greater debts.

He added: "If you say, 'Look, we don't even have a penny to spend, so for the next two or three years we will turn to La Masia. The message should be that we have confidence in the academy; that there are good players with a lot of talent. Bring them through and try and compete for La Liga. What you cannot do is say 'I am going to sign [Erling] Haaland,' which looks great, but how do you do it? I'm just using Haaland as an example, it has nothing to do with rumours. I could equally say [Kylian] Mbappé or whoever."

Third-placed Barcelona, who are trailing La Liga leaders Real Madrid by eight points, will be next seen in action against Mallorca on Friday in a vital La Liga clash. Xavi's men will then prepare for the second leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie against Napoli, with the aggregate score locked at 1-1.