Despite playing an integral role in the Spanish sides which won the World Cup in 2010 and the European Championship in 2012, Pique was jeered at his every touch of the football in Alicante. The 30-year-old, capped 91 times by Spain, was also booed by fans at a training session in the build-up to the match.

The reaction to Pique by a section of fans overshadowed Spain's 3-0 victory, which saw them secure a place in next year's World Cup Finals in Russia.

The furore was simply caused by the central defender expressing his support for the Catalonia independence referendum, which took place on October 1. Declared illegal by the Spanish Government, the referendum garnered worldwide attention when images of police clashing with voters were beamed across televisions and the internet.

While the legitimacy of the vote is open to debate, there is no doubt that the scenes which followed were shocking to see. From a public relations perspective, it was a poor move from the Spanish authorities to act as forcefully as they did. Many people, previously unaware of the situation, suddenly became aware and made a snap judgement on who they would likely be supporting.

In the case of Pique, it seemed strange that a figure could attract so much animosity towards themselves by merely stating an opinion. The defender has never called for independence for Catalonia, but supported the right to a referendum, as well as condemning the violent scenes.

Having been raised in the region and playing for the Catalan-based club side Barcelona, it should come as no surprise that Pique had an opinion. Personally, I thought it was refreshing to hear an athlete take a public stance on an issue which was affecting the country.

It is a shame, then, that when an athlete does choose to make a public comment on a major topic, they are treated with disdain.

Pique's Spanish team-mate Sergio Ramos reflected the typical view of athletes, when he sought to play down the issue surrounding Pique at a press conference.

"Politics and sport have been thrown together and that's the first mistake," Ramos was quoted as saying. "You can't mix politics and sport. We have a great squad here with Spain, this is football we are talking about and we have a World Cup to qualify for. These kinds of decisions have nothing to do with me or anyone else involved in sport. There are other people in positions to make these decisions; we should stay out of it and focus on football. All that matters to us is football and being at the World Cup."

While he admitted the scenes surrounding the referendum damaged the image of Spain and called for a solution as quickly as possible, Ramos largely gave a diplomatic answer to halt further controversy.

In my view, athletes should feel able to express their strong beliefs on a topic, however it is understandable why more do not. Pique has become a lightning rod for the discussions on Catalonia, whether he meant to or not.

Having discussed the subject impressively, the Spanish defender has effectively become a symbol of the situation for a wide audience of people. By putting a recognisable face to the issue, the topic has become widely known.

It highlights the power that sportspeople have, should they choose to put their head above the parapet.

To a certain extent the same has been true in the United States in recent weeks, with the ongoing protests by American football players against perceived racial injustice. The decision to "take the knee" - opting not to stand during the American national anthem - was first taken by quarterback Colin Kaepernick last year.

In recent weeks, aided by an incendiary tweet from American President Donald Trump, the protests have become more widespread and have received far more attention globally than when Kaepernick first knelt down.

While Kaepernick has succeeded in raising awareness for his cause, his decision has been perceived by many to be the reason why he currently does not have a spot on any National Football League team.

Both Kaepernick and Pique's cases highlight the difficulty for an athlete making a public statement or gesture surrounding a contentious topic. The latter even offered to end his international career with Spain should the discussion on Catalonia become too great an issue.

We should hope this does not deter other athletes from taking a stand on future issues. After all, why should everyone else be allowed to have their say on matters, but not athletes?

If anything, they act as microcosms of our societies, particularly when it comes to team sport.

In a period when the merits of international football have been mocked in some quarters, I was taken aback when I heard the suggestion that people in countries which qualify for next summer's World Cup will feel represented by the players who take to the field and line-up for their national anthem - both players from a working class background through to those from more privileged upbringings. In some people's eyes, they will be the faces of their nation.

The point was initially made in relation to the Brazilian national team, who are often viewed as one of the country's major representatives on the world stage. Hence, their 7-1 home defeat to Germany in the semi-finals of the 2014 World Cup was viewed as so jarring. Some argued it was not just the scale of the defeat, but the perceived humiliation for the whole country.

Even a quick glance at the midfield of the England national team on Thursday (October 5) highlights the difference in players' upbringings, from growing up in Sunderland and Manchester to team-mates having spent portions of their lives in Jamaica and Portugal. One of the midfielders even attended a private school.

While sportsmen, particularly footballers, are often scoffed at due to the vast wealth many of the elite players earn, it is certainly one of the few professions in which people from all parts of our culture can feature at the highest level - often having to work together on the same team as those from completely different backgrounds. This clearly is not the case in many major institutions.

In this regard, it would make even more sense for sportsmen to take stands on political issues. Some sportspeople could become symbols for people from their backgrounds, acting as both an inspiration and a vocal part of their community.

Whether that be Kaepernick opting to kneel during the American national anthem to highlight perceived racial injustice, or the Muslim players who recently succeeded in their efforts to convince the International Basketball Federation to allow hijabs in competition, there is clearly a place for athletes to become political.

It would be a huge shame if poor treatment leads to athletes taking a step back in the future, when they can add so much to a debate.