Gerard Pique, the former Barcelona and Manchester United defender, is currently under official investigation by a court in Spain over his alleged involvement in a deal that saw the Spanish Super Cup moved to Saudi Arabia. Pique’s company Kosmos signed agreements with the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) that involved it receiving 40m euros (£34m) for brokering the deal, with the RFEF receiving 400m euros (£340m).
The case dates back to 2022 when audio recordings of Pique and then-RFEF president Luis Rubiales were leaked. The investigation gained traction when RFEF offices were raided by investigators in March and Rubiales was arrested upon returning from a trip to the Dominican Republic in April. However, Pique has denied any wrongdoing and insisted that the deal was legal.
Pique’s successor, Pedro Rocha, is also under investigation regarding the Saudi deal. The Spanish Super Cup relocated to Saudi Arabia in 2020 and returned there in 2022 following the Covid-19 pandemic. Pique played in the Spanish Super Cup in Saudi Arabia twice before retiring in November 2022. The legal proceedings surrounding the deal continue, with key figures facing scrutiny and potential consequences.
