A Madrid court has initiated an official investigation into former Barcelona player Gerard Pique’s involvement in a suspected corruption case related to the deal to bring the Spanish Super Cup to Saudi Arabia.
The investigation targets contracts signed by the Spanish football federation since 2018, particularly one orchestrated by former federation president Luis Rubiales, aiming to host the Spanish Super Cup in the oil-rich Gulf state.
These Super Cup contracts, valued at 40 million euros annually ($43 million), were facilitated through Kosmos, a company owned by Pique, who is a former Barcelona and Spain defender.
According to the court, there are potential legal irregularities with criminal implications within these contracts, including a clause guaranteeing a commission of four million euros per year to Kosmos.
Consequently, Pique has been formally included in the group of individuals under official investigation in connection with this alleged corruption case, which has caused upheaval in Spanish football.
Earlier in March, Spanish authorities conducted searches at 11 locations, including the RFEF’s Madrid headquarters and Rubiales’ residence in Granada, as part of the probe into corruption and other offenses.
Rubiales’ tenure as RFEF president ended in September amid controversy, including an incident where he kissed Women’s World Cup star Jenni Hermoso without her consent after Spain’s victory in the Sydney final in August.
The investigation initially began in 2022 following the leak of audio recordings between Rubiales and Pique discussing substantial commission fees. Rubiales has consistently defended the legality of the Super Cup deal with Saudi Arabia.
Pique has maintained the legality of the agreement, expressing pride in its execution. The investigation expanded in April to include Rubiales’ successor, Pedro Rocha.
The Spanish Super Cup was first held in Saudi Arabia in 2020, returned to Spain the following year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but has since been hosted in Saudi for the subsequent three competitions.
Pique participated in two Spanish Super Cups in Saudi Arabia with Barcelona before retiring from professional football in November 2022.
