Gerard Piqué breaks to cry when declaring for the ‘Supercopa Case’ and after defending earlier than the decide that the commissions he charged are “usual” | Soccer | Sports | EUROtoday

Former soccer participant Gerard Piqué declared this Friday within the Courts of Majadahonda, the place he was cited as investigated by the position he performed, along with the previous president of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) Luis Rubiales, within the negotiations that took the Super Cup to Saudi Arabia and for which a 4 million cousin of 4 million have been agreed for the corporate of which it’s a founding associate, that is 24 million. for the six years initially agreed. His protection has targeted on confirming that the contract with Arabia was signed because of his speech, however that it’s an operation with the standard commissions, which often round 10% of the whole, and that the Federation didn’t pay any a part of that fee.

The therapy for the dispute of the events of the Super Cup in Arabia was mirrored in an settlement for 264 million euros signed in 2019 among the many then president of the Federation, a Saudi firm, Sela, and the mercantile of Piqué. The accused believes that “without Kosmos, the agreement between the Federation and Arabia would not have happened because there was social pressure” and there was a “fight between the League and the Federation.” He has additionally defined, in keeping with sources current within the Chamber, that the addendum was signed to the unique contract, with which it was claimed to additionally cost commissions for the following extension of the contract for 3 extra years, “for the relationship of trust” with the RFEF.

In his assertion, he has responded solely to the decide, to the prosecutor and his lawyer, however to not the events. Active footballer till 2022, he says that at no time nobody knowledgeable him that there could possibly be a battle of curiosity when combining his work as an athlete and that of an entrepreneur, since he created an organization initially devoted to the online game enterprise in 2013. Piqué has reported, to questions from the Judiciary and as it may be learn within the transcription to which the nation has had entry, which learns that the federation is inquisitive about taking the supercopa via Fernando Soler, who works with them and was already doing work with Sela in 2018 (one yr earlier than the signing of the contract in query); That is why a primary assembly is already set for January 2019.

At that point, he factors out, “the Super Cup was a competition that was a bit abandoned, there was the feeling that it was not known very well what to do with that competition. The fact that Sela would like to take her to Arabia was a very good occasion and that it could be interesting for the Federation. ” Already at that assembly, an settlement with 10percentcommissions is verbally specified. From then on, he says, contact Rubiales and Rubén Rivera, then liable for advertising of the RFEF. After a number of conferences and that the settlement was about to interrupt, the conversations are resumed and it closes and indicators on September 11. In that contract, Piqué, in keeping with his assertion, intervenes “as an advisor to the Saudís”, though through the negotiation there was direct contact of Sela with the Federation.

Piqué’s story is barely situated from the model that defends the investigation of the UCO of the Civil Guard. The researchers mentioned that, after the appointment of Rubiales as president, the RFEF raised the celebration of the Super Cup exterior of Spain.

“Among the different intermediaries that offered their services to negotiate, it should be noted that Piqué was an active part in the process through the society of its representative [Arturo Canales] AC Talent, ”particulars the report, highlighting that this firm“ received a mandate of exclusivity ”signed by the Federation to search out“ business options ”by the Super Cup within the United States, China and Japan. “In this context, contacts were established with Amazon and Sony about different alternatives for the tournament celebration,” he provides.

“While this was happening, in January 2019, the RFEF received a message from another businessman, Alfonso Roberes, in which he informed him of Sela’s interest in giving the rights of the tournament with an offer that his emissary described as” very enticing “and that” have by no means achieved earlier than a Super Cup match. ” The UCO emphasizes that the proposal received a negative response, although only a few days later the Federation itself met directly with the Saudi company with the intermediation of Kosmos, the Piqué society, “ending by agreeing the beginning of the negotiations.”

The police report states that from the succession of events “it has been inferred that the intermediation carried out by Kosmos would have actually been exercised in favor of the RFEF and never of Sela”, as initially presented.

In this regard, admitted the businessman in the Court that in the contract there is a clause where the Federation expressly establishes that the right to terminate the contract is reserved if Sela does not pay the commissioner, that is, Piqué. A clause that, he explains, puts himself “as a result of in the mean time you see that the settlement is a actuality you attempt to shield your half.” They spoke with Sela and told them that they had brought them a chance and that they wanted to protect themselves in case they did not pay them, explains Piqué. The Federation seemed good because in the end they “gained a proper that they might execute at any time and they also had extra safety.”

In his statement, however, Piqué has defended that neither the agreement nor the collection is made at the request of the Federation. To questions from the Prosecutor’s Office, the former player said he did not remember that Rubiales told him anything about an addendum project of a price of 44 million in which the commission was included and that Arabia was going to pay 28.5 million and that happened to 40. But he also did not remember a telephone conversation with Rubiales to consider the price as a set and that the Federation was the one who would give the commission to Kosmos.

Piqué, who has declared himself proud of the agreement signed with the Saudís – “in another nation they’d have put me a statue,” he said, according to those present – asked the floor before leaving the room and told the judge that he is suffering a lot and that the case has affected his reputation. Then, he broke down.

The judge investigates “attainable illegalities” in the agreements between the RFEF and the Saudi Entity Sela Sports. Agreements in which, as he himself has recognized, he consists as a key figure of the negotiation the company of Gerard Piqué, at that time still a Barcelona player, a team that participated in the competition, and that he exercised as “third part”. The Supercopa case is only part of the so -called Brodie operation, which investigates an alleged illegal plot within the Federation led by Rubiales, which will have to respond, together with many others, for the possible crimes of corruption, unfair administration and money laundering.

The latest documents sent on the case by the Central Operational Unit (UCO) of the Civil Guard to the head of the Court of First Instance and Instruction 4 of Majadahonda (Madrid), Delia Rodrigo, directly indicated the former soccer player as an active part of the agreement, now under suspicion. In fact, the UCO agents raised the magistrate the need to fight a rogatory commission (request for judicial assistance) to the Saudi authorities to request information on the possible existence of open bank accounts in the name of the former soccer player, Rubiales and another 10 other people, as well as a fortnight of societies, many of them linked to Piqué. The agents argue that this information is fundamental “for the whole investigation of the investigated information” and, in particular, “to elucidate not solely all the pieces regarding the negotiation for the celebration of the Spanish Soccer Super Cup, but additionally these companies” ejecute or intentionally – by some of those investigated with the presumable occasion of this. “