Former Spain and Barcelona participant Gerard Piqué is to be investigated over the Spanish soccer federation’s deal to take the Spanish Tremendous Cup to Saudi Arabia.
A Spanish decide formally expanded her probe into the Spanish Tremendous Cup to incorporate the previous participant Gerard Piqué in a bunch of individuals now underneath official investigation.
The investigation will give attention to allegations of corruption and cash laundering associated to the internet hosting of the cup in Saudi Arabia in a profitable transfer made by former federation president Luis Rubiales in 2019.
The Madrid-based courtroom mentioned on Thursday that contracts signed between the federation and Saudi Arabia in 2019 and 2020 concluded in a 10-year settlement to stage the mini-football match within the Center Japanese nation for €40 million a 12 months.
Paperwork confiscated by police raids in March confirmed that one other €4 million a 12 months was to be paid as a fee to Piqué’s sports activities leisure firm Kosmos whereas Piqué was nonetheless enjoying for Barcelona and collaborating within the Tremendous Cup.
Piqué has since retired from soccer. Kosmos was concerned in revampingtennis’ DavisCup and likewise beginning the choice King’s League soccer competitors in Spain that has expanded to Latin America.
In April, the identical decide requested for a checking account of Kosmos to be frozen. Kosmos didn’t instantly reply to messages requesting remark.
The case continues to be in its investigative part and the decide can both shelve it or suggest it go to trial.
Police arrested Rubiales and different federation staff earlier in April however he was promptly launched. The probe was then expanded to incorporate Rubiales’ successor, Pedro Rocha.
Rocha took over as interim federation president after Rubiales stepped down in September, weeks after he turned a nationwide embarrassment for kissing a participant with out her consent in the course of the Ladies’s World Cup awards ceremony.
