With FC Barcelona reportedly keen to get rid of stalwart Gerard Pique, things seem to have taken a turn for the worse for the Spaniard, with 250 graves having reportedly been found under his property in Malaga.
Despite having not suffered any injury setbacks this season, the experienced centre-back has been restricted to a bench role, having played only 555 minutes of football so far, featuring less frequently than the likes of Jules Kounde, Marcos Alonso, and Eric Garcia in defence.
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Earlier in the campaign, Spanish press reported that the 35-year-old was at loggerheads with manager Xavi Hernandez over his lack of game time.
It is believed the veteran was overheard complaining about his fringe role of late and this was said to have angered Xavi, resulting in the coach reportedly vowing to give even less minutes to the player.
Now, with the Barca understood to be keen to part ways with the veteran, who is one of the highest earners at the club, more misery seems to have befallen the player.
A new business project of his has had to be brought to an abrupt stop after 250 graves were found on the property he owns for the venture, according to Marca.
In 2015, the Spaniard spent £17.7 million (R370 million) on a stretch of land located on the Costa del Sol, with a view to building a luxury hotel in Malaga.
With the project now halted, it is said studies will need to be conducted in order to determine what century the graves are from.
"We have excavated about 250 tombs, of which the vast majority are empty," archaeologist Alberto Cumpian explained to Hoy por hoy Malaga.
"Possibly, the tombs were never used, and are not valuable enough to be preserved.
"It is one of the largest necropolises in the country."
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On the pitch, meanwhile, Pique has become something of an outcast at Barcelona of late, having made just nine appearances, and starting in only five matches, so far in this campaign.
While he did feature in Barca's dead-rubber 4-2 win over Viktoria Plzen in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday night and remains contracted until 2024, the Blaugrana are reportedly hoping he retires at the end of the season in order to avoid continuing to pay his large salary in the event that he does not find a move away from the Camp Nou.
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