Newly-retired Gerard Pique has denied using an offensive slur in the direction of referee Gil Manzano who sent him off in his final match for Barcelona. 

With Xavi Hernandez's side trailing 1-0 at the break away at Osasuna, and Robert Lewandowski having been given his marching orders for a second bookable offence, substitute Pique confronted the official as the players walked off for half-time. 

The verbal tirade was captured by the cameras with the players heading down the tunnel. Barcelona have had trouble in the past with the same referee who has sent off Luis Suarez, Neymar and Lionel Messi. 

Gerard Pique was sent off for arguing with the referee in his final Barcelona appearance

In the referee's report, it is claimed the veteran defender told the referee: 'You are the referee who has most screwed Barcelona by some distance. You are a f****** disgrace.'

There were some reports and suggestions that Pique had also told the referee: 'I s*** on your prostitute mother.'

However, Pique has sought to reject the allegations that he directed such offensive language at the referee - saying 'they' wanted to suspend him for 'six or eight games'. 

He told Ibai Llanos on Twitch that he had confronted the referee after a series of controversial decisions had gone against his side.  

'I’ve been doing interviews since I was 17 years old. Now I’m free, you no longer have to be pigeonholed and answer what you have to. I didn’t s*** on anyone’s mother,' he said. 

'I’ll explain how it was and I understand that it’s current. At half-time, after the referee harmed us, Robert’s first yellow is not a yellow, there is no corner, then the foul on Marcos Alonso… it’s not that they are dubious plays. The corner, the ball does not pass near anyone.

'We go into the tunnel and I told him that he always harms us. With that alone he sends me off. I’m surprised he sent me off for that. At the smallest thing, they send you off, you can’t say anything. 

'In the Premier League, they allow you to talk to them. I, already sent off, go into the locker room with more team-mates who came from playing. 

'There is someone inside who says 'I s*** on the f****** mother of [the referee]. The referee listens to him from his locker room and puts the words in my mouth.'

Pique said that what is in the referee's report does not reflect what actually happened. 

'What it says in the report is once I’ve already been sent off, they don’t send me off for that,' he said. 'They only send me off for saying "You’re the same as always". He did it because they want to suspend me for six or eight games, even though I’m retired.'

Barcelona, meanwhile, managed to win the game 2-1 thanks to goals from Pedri and Raphinha late on as they maintained their grip on the league.  

It marks a sorry end to a glittering career for Gerard Pique that spanned the best part of two decades. Having left Barcelona for Manchester United, he returned in 2008.

From thenceforth he became one of the world's foremost defenders, winning countless honours including eight La Liga titles, three Champions Leagues and a European Championship and World Cup with Spain, for whom he won 102 caps. 

Pique's retirement came amid a difficult few months for the defender who had recently split from his long-term partner Shakira while he had also been booed by Barcelona supporters on a number of occasions.