Read news from:
Austria
SHARE
COPY LINK

FOOTBALL

Piqué’s company made €24M from Spanish Super Cup being played in Saudi Arabia

The Spanish football federation arranged for a commission of €24 million ($25.9 million) to be paid to Kosmos, the sports events company founded by Barcelona defender Gerard Piqué, as part of the Spanish Super Cup moving to Saudi Arabia, a report in the Spanish press said on Monday.

Published: 19 April 2022 09:36 CEST
Piqué's company made €24M from Spanish Super Cup being played in Saudi Arabia
The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) negotiated a €24 million commission for Kosmos, the sports events company chaired by Barcelona's defender Gerard Piqué. Photo: Pau BARRENA/AFP

According to El Confidencial, the contract negotiated by the federation includes Kosmos receiving €4 million for each of the six tournaments to be played in Saudi Arabia from 2020, while the federation receives €40 million for each competition.

“Piqué had a key role in the negotiations for the Spanish Super Cup to be hosted in Saudi Arabia, and throughout this process enjoyed preferential treatment from (federation president) Luis Rubiales, for reasons yet to be determined.

“A spokesperson for Piqué has denied that he received any special treatment,” El Confidencial wrote on Monday.

The first Spanish Super Cup in Saudi Arabia took place in January 2020 between Barcelona, Real Madrid, Atlético de Madrid and Valencia, with Real Madrid beating Atlético in the final.

Before the tournament, Rubiales confirmed in a press conference that Kosmos had participated in the negotiations with Saudi Arabia.

He said the federation had made no direct payment to the company, avoiding any conflict of interest and a breach of its code of ethics.

According to Marca on Monday, the federation believe “this information does not say anything new compared to what was made public in 2019”.

Gerard Piqué has responded to the scandal by saying that “everything we have done is legal” and when asked about a possible conflict of interests, the Barça and Spain defender argued that “a commercial issue has nothing to do with a result on the football field”.

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.

CORRUPTION

World Cup winner Del Bosque to watch over Spain’s scandal-hit federation

Former Spain coach Vicente del Bosque will lead the committee overseeing the country's trouble-ridden football federation, the Spanish government said Tuesday.

Published: 30 April 2024 16:12 CEST
World Cup winner Del Bosque to watch over Spain's scandal-hit federation

The retired 73-year-old led La Roja to the 2010 World Cup and 2012 European Championship titles, as well as taking Real Madrid to two Champions League triumphs.

“I’m proud to announce that the person presiding over the committee and representing it… is Vicente del Bosque,” said Pilar Alegría, the minister for Education and Sports.

“Del Bosque will be the face and representation of Spanish football.”

Last week Spain’s National Sports Council (CSD) created a committee to “oversee” the federation (RFEF) and try to pull it out of crisis.

Former president Luis Rubiales resigned in disgrace after forcibly kissing Women’s World Cup star Jenni Hermoso last year, while he and new president Pedro Rocha are under investigation in a graft probe.

“I believe that (Del Bosque) is the clearest representation of a good person of great human quality and, above all, an example of honesty and respect,” added Alegría.

The RFEF took decisions “beyond its remit” after Rubiales stepped down in December according to a report from the country’s leading sports court, resulting in the CSD creating the committee.

World and European football governing bodies FIFA and UEFA subsequently issued a statement expressing “great concern” at the situation around the RFEF.

“FIFA and UEFA will seek additional information to assess the extent to which the CSD’s appointment (of the committee) … may affect the RFEF’s obligation to manage its affairs independently and without undue government interference,” they said.

Spain is due to host the 2030 World Cup along with Portugal and Morocco.

The court report on the RFEF interim committee overstepping its bounds also raised the possibility the CSD may provisionally suspend Rocha, who was elected as Rubiales’ replacement on Friday, and other RFEF directors.

A CSD meeting Tuesday over potential punishments for these alleged infringements was put on hold after the sports court asked for more documentation, CSD sources told AFP.

The sources said the CSD plans to meet again in the coming days.

One decision allegedly beyond the remit of the RFEF was the renewal of current Spain coach Luis de la Fuente’s contract in February.

SHOW COMMENTS