Spain's final group game ended in disappointing fashion for their fans as after Alvaro Morata's opener, Croatia came back to score twice through Nikola Kalinic and Ivan Perisic to finish top of the group.
It means Spain – who saw a Sergio Ramos second-half penalty saved in the defeat – will now play Italy in the next round as they had to settle for the runners-up spot in Group D, while it was their first loss at a European Championship since losing to Portugal in 2004, a run of 14 games unbeaten.
This undoubtedly left a sour taste in the mouth, but for some fans this arrived just before kick off with social media rife with the suggestion that Pique made a rude middle-fingered gesture during the Spanish national anthem.
The Barcelona defender has endured a difficult relationship when playing for Spain, with the 29-year-old regularly whistled when playing for his country, due to what some see as his anti-Real Madrid and pro-Catalan independence views.
But the man at the centre of it all, who headed a late winner in Spain's opener against the Czech Republic, insists this latest controversy has been blown out of proportion.
"It is a stupid controversy," Pique said. "If I am here, it is because I feel proud of this team and this family.
"In no way did I disrespect the anthem. You all know me and many times I say or do things that maybe I should not. But I have never disrespected this country, nor this national team.
"These controversies bring us nowhere. It is a country in which things around Barca and Madrid divide a lot, but we must be together and united."
Pique also tweeted after the game that: "I am cracking my knuckles during the anthem. We should not look for controversies where there are none and try to win the Euros all together."
Source: Sportsbeat
