Piqué jeered at during Spanish team presentation

Piqué, 30, tweeted himself voting in the Catalunya independence referendum, which he has always been in favour of, attracting harsh criticism from Spanish football fans for what they consider a two-faced attitude – playing for Spain and yet casting his ballot in an 'illegal' secession election.

The player has not revealed whether he voted for, or against, Catalunya's independence, but has campaigned passionately for the region's people to be allowed to express their views if they wish.

Faced with the barrage of complaints from football followers, a tearful Piqué said after Sunday's referendum: “If I'm going to be a problem for the Spanish team, I'm prepared to leave.”

His words have since been paraphrased as: “I'd have no problem with giving up La Roja ['The Reds', as Spain's national side is known],” interpreted as a lack of interest in playing for the country.

He made no statements about the referendum before or during yesterday evening's presentation, although he was the last to get out of the blacked-out van transporting him and fellow players Jordi Alba, Marc Bartra and Sergio Busquets from Madrid's Adolfo Suárez-Barajas airport to the nearby town of Las Rozas.

Piqué's expression was said to be 'very serious', not even laughing at a couple of wisecracks from Busquets.

A reporter asked him, “how are you finding the presentation?” To which he replied, “by walking there.”

A group of five fans carrying a huge Spanish flag stood at the entrance with a giant placard reading: “Catalunya doesn't want to be Spanish but they'll stay in Spain when it suits them – Piqué, for example.”

Guardia Civil officers confiscated banners bearing hate messages against Piqué from several fans – one of which, held by a man in his 50s, read: “I don't want you to leave...I want them to throw you out. You're sickening.”

Six officers had to wrestle it off him after a private security guard tried and the carrier put up a fight, insisting it was 'freedom of speech'.

Dozens of fans booed at Piqué when he entered the pitch.

After the team showing, Piqué tweeted the message: “The police acted professionally and in proportion,” together with a photo of a National Police officer firing a gun in the air in front of protesters, then retweeted a screen shot of riot police apparently attacking members of the public, originally shown on the Catalunya channel TV3.