Former Barcelona and Spain defender Gerard Piqué attended the funeral mass of his paternal grandmother, Lina Rovira Montsant, in Sant Guim de Freixenet on Wednesday morning following her death at the age of 102.
The 39-year-old football executive missed the family wake on Tuesday afternoon after traveling to Vigo to attend to matters with his club, FC Andorra.
Rovira, the mother of Joan Piqué, died in Lérida on Tuesday, August 25. The family has not made public the cause of death, adhering to their usual privacy, but gathered later that afternoon at the funeral home in Sant Guim de Freixenet, the Lérida town where the family traces its roots. The wake was held between 5:00 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.
Piqué was unable to attend the wake due to his team's football league schedule. As the majority shareholder of FC Andorra, he had traveled to Galicia for the club's match against Celta Fortuna at the Balaídos stadium in Vigo. During his visit to Vigo, Piqué attracted public attention while walking through the city streets with his girlfriend, Clara Chía, and visiting a popular coffee shop, unaware at the time of his family's loss.
Intimate service at Sagrat Cor church
He returned in time for the religious service held at 12:00 p.m. on Wednesday, August 26, at the Sagrat Cor church in Sant Guim de Freixenet. Arriving punctually alongside Chía, Piqué joined his family to offer support and receive comfort from his partner.
Piqué was visibly emotional during the final farewell to his grandmother, whom he affectionately called laia Lina. He had previously spoken about being her number one fan during his early career at Barcelona and with the Spanish national team, recalling that his grandmother never missed a match and constantly encouraged him to achieve his goals.
The former footballer sought to remain unnoticed during the funeral mass, which was kept strictly private for family members despite the presence of news reporters and photographers outside the church. He stood solemnly a few steps behind his father, Joan Piqué, and his mother, Montserrat Bernabéu, accompanied by several cousins and Chía, who supported him throughout the service.
Children remain in the United States
His two young sons, Milan and Sasha, were unable to join their father for the funeral. The children are currently in the United States with their mother, the Colombian singer Shakira, making it impossible for them to take an emergency flight to Spain. They received the news of their great-grandmother's death from across the Atlantic.
Piqué retired from professional football in 2022 after a career that included winning the 2010 World Cup with Spain and three UEFA Champions League titles with Barcelona. Since retiring, he has managed sports and media projects through his company Kosmos, serving as owner of FC Andorra and founding the Kings League competition.
Sant Guim de Freixenet is a small municipality in the province of Lérida, located in the Catalonia region of northeastern Spain, where the Piqué family maintains long-standing ancestral roots.
