BARCELONA defender Gerard Pique could be forced to wear the name of his ex Shakira on his shirt in an awkward situation at the Nou Camp.
Reports in Spain say the Colombian singer could be the next to benefit from the Catalan club’s sponsorship with Spotify after they opted to wear the OVO owl on their jersey in Sunday’s El Clasico.
The owl is the symbol of music artist Drake’s brand and he recently made history by becoming the first artist to reach 50 billion streams.
Shakira is about to release her new single Monotonia and has already sparked speculation it reflects her acrimonious split with Pique after 11 years – with the pair having two children together.
Barcelona-based sports journalist Moises Llorens’ claims a deal is close to being sealed with the singer-songwriter which would see her feature on the Barcelona shirt.
And leading Spanish news website El Espanol reported overnight: “Barcelona is planning the ‘reunion’ of Gerard Pique with Shakira.”
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There has not yet been any official comment from the singer or Barcelona – who are keen to bring football and music together through its Spotify partnership.
Ex-Manchester United man Pique has had to endure jibes from opposition fans who have sung Shakira’s name during matches following their split.
One of the Colombian’s hit songs was played over a loudspeaker at Majorca’s Son Moix stadium at the beginning of October as Pique and his teammates warmed up before the start of a league match, sparking laughter from fans.
The former couple recently attended their eldest son’s baseball game and appeared to not speak or even look at each other.
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Pique, now dating Clara Chia Marti, 23, has been left out of several games this season by manager Xavi Hernandez but played in the club’s 3-3 Champions League draw against Inter Milan last week.
Shakira, who faces a tax fraud trial in the coming months, has teased her new song with cryptic social media posts which fans and critics have claimed allude to her split with Pique.
In a clip of a video she has shared – which shows a beating heart – she sings in Spanish: “It wasn’t your fault or mine, it was the monotony’s fault. I never said anything but it hurt me. I knew it would happen.”
