Soccer great Gerard Pique‘s venture into tennis has been full of controversy. In 2018, his company Kosmos entered into a deal with the International Tennis Federation to run the Davis Cup for 25 years. Promising to invest $3 Billion into the sport, Pique changed the structure of the historic competition. He introduced a world-cup-style knock-out format that received strong backlash from players and fans.

Recently, a Davis Cup tie between two strong countries suffered a saddening state to which Swiss star and compatriot Roger Federer, Stan Wawrinka took a hilarious dig. Wawrinka is in Manchester to participate in the Davis Cup finals. However, shocking scenes emerged when Switzerland took on France in the Group B tie. Here’s what he said.

Stan Wawrinka takes a hilarious dig at Gerard Pique

During the ongoing Davis Cup final tie between France and Switzerland in Manchester, bizarre scenes erupted as players were greeted to nearly empty stands. It was all the more surprising to see the low turnout because both teams have a rich Davis Cup history and boast some of the top stars in their ranks.

Wawrinka, who won the tournament alongside Roger Federer in 2014, took a jibe at Gerard Pique, whose company was responsible for restructuring the tournament despite strong backlash.

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In the video of the empty stands that went viral on social media, Wawrinka shared it on his official Twitter handle and said, “Thank you @3gerardpique @ITFTennis @DavisCup France vs Switzerland in Manchester lol.”

This is not the first time Pique has received jibes for his involvement with the Davis Cup. During the talks about the restructuring in 2018, Federer hit back strongly at Pique.

DIVE DEEPER: “It’s a Multi-Million Dollar Disaster” – After Tearing Up $3,000,000,000 Contract, ITF’s Potential Chief Strongly Condemns Gerard Pique’s Kosmos Over Davis Cup Fiasco

What did Roger Federer say?

Like Wawrinka, the Swiss maestro wasn’t pleased to hear about the changes in the Davis Cup, which is one of the oldest tournaments of the sport. During the 2018 US Open, Federer made a strong statement against Pique, saying, “I haven’t spoken to Gerard Pique yet, but I admit that it’s a bit odd to see a footballer arrive and meddle in the tennis business. Be careful: the Davis Cup should not become the Piqué Cup.”

Pique’s involvement with the Davis Cup was short-lived as the supposedly 25-year partnership ended early this year. However, Pique’s stint has left a mark on the tournament and its results are starting to show now.

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