Gerard Pique: Barcelona, Real Madrid couldn't win the Premier League

Barcelona centre-back Gerard Pique has seen it all. He's played in the English Premier League and Spain's La Liga. He's done battle with the finest footballers across the land and is now playing for one of history's finest footballing sides.

Having stood atop the two pillars of European football, Pique has seen what both leagues offer. So does he think Spain's top sides could compete for the Barclay's Premier League title?

"I think that if Barcelona or Real Madrid goes to the Premier League then the first year of playing there, there is no chance of winning it. ... If you go to Stoke, or other types of teams, then it will be really tough," Pique told Jason Burt of the Telegraph. "It's a debate, we could spend hours on it.

"If Manchester United or Chelsea go to Spain, then the same. No chance to win the league."

There are very few players who have experienced the Premier League and La Liga in the span of their career; even fewer have thrived and become league icons in the process.

Pique spent the early part of his career with Manchester United but was unable to break into the Red Devils' lineup. At Barcelona, he is an undisputed starter, and has won league and European titles for it.

Conversely, Pique's teammate Luis Suarez found success both at Liverpool and at Barcelona, one of very few players to shine in both England and Spain. Pique says the transition between the two leagues is getting easier as England adapts to a new style of play.

"I ... remember when Cesc Fabregas and (Santi) Cazorla arrived in England and people said 'No, it's not the same style of play.' But everyone loved it and now they are the stars of the league," Pique said. "I think finally the English fans have to accept that this is the way football is played all over the world. It's true they love box-to-box but if you want to win titles and trophies then maybe you have to change a little bit."

For Pique, playing in the Premier League offered a different lifestyle, but it could not compare to returning home to play for his native Barcelona.

"It means everything. It's true that I was happy in Manchester even though I didn't play as much as I wanted to. But the day I finally signed for Barcelona and I came back it was, 'Wow, the dream comes true,'" Pique said. "After this we won a lot of titles and other dreams come true but the main one was playing for the club that I had supported all my life.

"It's not something I can explain with words. Imagine - since I was 5 years old I had gone every week to the stadium, following this team. I remember everything - all the teams every year; all the players. From one day to the other you are supporting the team and then you are inside the dressing room with the players."