Barcelona defender Gerard Pique was pessimistic about his team's title chances in a cryptic post-match interview after the LaLiga leaders' 0-0 draw at Sevilla on Friday night.
Quique Setien's side were held in an entertaining but goalless game at the Sanchez Pizjuan and no longer depend on themselves to win the league as rivals Real Madrid can now claim the title by winning their remaining matches in the competition.
Los Blancos are three points behind Barca, but have a game in hand and will move top if they beat Real Sociedad at Anoeta on Sunday, courtesy of their superior head-to-head record in the two Clasico clashes this season.
"I think it's going to be very difficult to win this league," Pique told Movistar+ after Barca's draw in Seville.
"Now we don't depend on ourselves... we are going to do everything possible, but I imagine very few points will be dropped."
And when it was put to him by the interviewer that he appeared pessimistic, he said: "I have seen what has happened in the first two rounds (since the restart).
"It's going to be difficult for Real Madrid to lose points and today we lost an opportunity to keep depending on ourselves."
Those remarks were interpreted by some as a possible reference to refereeing decisions in Real Madrid's wins over Eibar and Valencia over the past week.
Pressed to explain his comments, he said: "Having seen the two rounds we have had, it's going to be difficult.
"But anyway, we are going to try."
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