Gerard Pique has said that he is firmly expecting to be back at Barcelona "in the future", with the centre-back bidding farewell to Camp Nou as a player on Saturday night.

Last week, the experienced centre-back revealed that he would be leaving the Catalan outfit and retiring from football, with Saturday's game with Almeria his last home fixture for the club.

Pique sported the captain's armband at Camp Nou, and he ultimately played 85 minutes of his side's 2-0 victory before leaving the field to a standing ovation late on.

The 35-year-old said that it is "hard to say goodbye", but he is "convinced" that he will return to Barcelona "in the future" in some capacity, with the Spaniard thought to be keen to become the club's president.

"It was a great day, hard to say goodbye. We had a great game. A lot of matches, and titles, but what I remember are my friendships and the moments of great victories," Pique said after the match.

"I am happy, I am calm. I gave the club my best efforts from the first day. I never dreamed about this, because I never thought about leaving.

"But I had to decide, that was clear. The last six months have been very difficult, and today everything was liberated.

"In life, when you get older, you realise that sometimes to love is to let go. I'm convinced that I'll be here again in the future. I love Barca. That's why I consider it the right moment to go. This is not a goodbye. I was born here, I'll die here."

Meanwhile, Barcelona boss Xavi paid tribute to the defender's performance against Almeria and also said that the club would "miss" him.

"Pique had a great game. It's a historic night for him. We will miss him. Pique leaves in peace, as I did, and I'm very happy for him.

"I'm very moved. All of the experiences we've had together as colleagues go through my head. A golden age, when we won everything."

Xavi said during his pre-match press conference for the Almeria clash that Pique could be involved in next week's league contest with Osasuna, which is the team's final match before the campaign halts for the World Cup.

However, the former Spain international might struggle to feature, with both Andreas Christensen and Eric Garcia returning to the squad on Saturday to boost the options in central defence.

Pique has now made 616 appearances for Barcelona, contributing 53 goals and 15 assists in the process.

The defender has won eight La Liga titles, seven Copa del Rey crowns and three Champions League trophies during his time at Camp Nou, returning to the club in 2008 after a spell with Manchester United. body check tags ::