BarcelonaNew round of leaked audios between Gerard Piqué and the top president of the Spanish Football Federation, Luis Rubiales. After the negotiation with figures of the Spanish Super Cup in Saudi Arabia, for which Kosmos, the Barça center-back company, commissioned 24 million euros to be distributed in six editions, The confidential It is clear that Piqué asked Rubiales to intercede for the Spanish national team to be included in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. an illusion that you shit playing the Olympics “, Piqué sent him by audio after closing the agreement for the Super Cup and when he had been retired from the absolute selection for some time.
“It simply came to our notice then [Luis de la Fuente] when they finish, in September or whenever. When the competition is over I come to Madrid and we meet him. Let’s see if we can manage it so that nothing comes out of nowhere. I think we have to keep it very secret between the three of us, don’t you think? “Adds Piqué in communications with Rubiales, who accepted the mediation.” He has to make decisions and I know I’m happy to lend a hand with that. Of course it must be kept secret and if the master trusts [en tu], fly and go ahead, I delighted. I would like you to come even to the absolute, where you are needed most, “replied the president of the RFEF.
Piqué wanted to keep his intentions secret so as not to generate a cap for veterans who want to go to the Olympics. Finally, the culer was left without going to Tokyo, as the Olympics were postponed due to the pandemic. In a public appearance on Wednesday, Rubiales confirmed Piqué’s request, but denied that he could have any persuasive ability with Spanish coach Luis de la Fuente. “He asked me [Piqué] and other players, with whom I have a relationship. But the coach made another decision. Here it is shown whether there is a favorable treatment or not “, said the top leader of the RFEF.” Piqué had already left the Spanish national team, so I guess he wanted his intentions to be kept secret. He was excited to go to the Games, like other footballers, but the coach decides. Calling me is useless, I just transfer the interest of the players to the coach “, he insisted, with unconvincing explanations.
This is not the only favor Piqué asked Rubiales for. The center-back also demanded that FC Andorra be located, the team he owns in a property, “in an easy group” of the former Second Division B and not the same as the bulk of Catalan teams, “which always have more level ”. A request that was not granted.
Qatar, a discarded option
In the other hand, The confidential – whom Rubiales accused of lying and wanting to hurt his person – has also published that the president of the RFEF rejected an agreement with Qatar and signed the contract with Saudi Arabia, which includes the commission of up to 24 million euros for Piqué’s company According to digital, the agreement with Qatar was almost as advantageous for the RFEF and had no penalty if Real Madrid and Barça did not attend the competition , as would happen with the contract of Saudi Arabia, a fact that Rubiales has wanted to deny, in addition to stating that the contract to which he refers The confidential “it is already obsolete “.
The main difference is that Qatar’s contract did not require any kind of intermediation. Neither Piqué nor any other external agent. The president of the RFEF has charged against this information, saying that the news is directly “false”. “There were two filters in this agreement. Qatar had to approve it, and we waited until the end, but they did not approve it,” Rubiales said. The leader also wanted to state at all times that he, as president, had not received “anything” from the agreement with the Saudi regime and that the Federation “did not pay a commission” to Piqué, but charged it directly from the ‘Saudi Arabia, as the player himself explained. “Therefore, there is no conflict of interest because the Federation has no economic relationship with Kosmos [l’empresa de Piqué]”He defended.
Andreu Camps, Secretary General of the RFEF, explained why the agreement with Saudi Arabia was chosen, in which Piqué’s company takes a 10% commission. “The Qatar agreement had a gross amount lower than what we have now in Arabia of 40 million. The amount of Qatar was lower in absolute terms, around 33 million euros, but also in this The agreement included the image rights of Asia, and in the case of Saudi Arabia, the image rights of Asia are not included. In addition, in this agreement there was an obligation that we pay certain percentages on the sale in other territories “, explained Camps.
“The Qatari side had to accept a number of our conditions that it did not ratify. They were not willing and the agreement was not ratified,” he added. Rubiales explained that options had also been explored in other countries such as China, India and Russia. [a Sant Petersburg]but that the Saudi option, proposed by Piqué, was the best, both in economic and “logistical” terms: with the pandemic “.
Rubiales feels persecuted by “a mafia”
The president of the RFEF has defended at all times that the agreement with Saudi Arabia and the consequent commissions “are legal and are within market prices.” In this regard, Rubiales has alleged that there is a report from the RFEF Ethics Committee that validates the agreement and will be provided to the media. The leader also took advantage of the press conference to claim that those who “stolen and leaked” their audios to The confidential he has followed his own “mafia” methods. “I don’t think one day you’ll find me in the gutter with a shot to the neck, but I, who don’t beak or smoke, don’t rule out one day putting a bag of cocaine in my trunk,” Rubiales concluded.
