FC Barcelona fans have been left seeking a new leader on the pitch after the shocking departure of Lionel Messi this summer. Other than captain Sergio Busquets, veteran forward Gerard Pique has proven to be popular with the fans. As a result, manager Ronald Koeman's decision to sub him off early in this week's loss against Benifica in the Champions League did not go down well with the Culers.

Pique has been rallying the Barcelona faithful despite the club's troubling situation both on and off the pitch. He gained massive admiration from fans after he was one of the first of the top earners to agree to a massive pay cut before the start of the season. The move allowed the club to free up enough space in their salary cap to be able to register their new signings.

The Spain international has become some kind of a central figure in the club, which is why it came as a shock when he was taken off the pitch after just half an hour against Benfica on Wednesday. He was not forced off due to injury, and fans see the substitution as an insult to the defender.

The change was made after Barcelona found themselves a goal down against the hosts thanks to a strike by Darwin Nunez just three minutes into the match. At the half-hour mark, the Dutch coach decided to bring in midfielder Gavi to replace Pique. As a result, Frenkie de Jong had to fill the gap left by Pique at the back.

To be fair, some would argue that Pique's yellow card in the 12th minute put him in a dangerous position, and Koeman did not want to risk going a man down. However, some are adamant that it did not seem like enough reason to humiliate the player with an early substitution. The problem is, Pique's exit did not help the defence at all, with Barcelona conceding two more goals to lose 3-0.

Pique had given Koeman enough reason to rely on him in recent weeks, after having helped the club keep clean sheets against both Cadiz and Levante.

He recovered quickly from a calf injury early in the season, and has been a welcome sight on the pitch for most loyal fans. The move by the embattled manager has turned more fans against him in his already precarious position with the club.

Barcelona management have been trying to call for unity in the past week, but the loss against Benfica and the outrage from fans have been putting the club under more pressure to sack Koeman. Latest reports suggest that he will still be in charge of the club this weekend, but mostly because the club still needs to iron out a deal with his potential replacement.

Gerard Pique
Barcelona players Josep LAGO/AFP
Barcelona FC