Spanish football federation headquarters raided: contract with Gerard Piqué investigated

The scandal in the Royal Spanish Football Federation does not stop. The Civil Guard searched the entity's headquarters this Wednesday, as reported by judicial sources from that country to the Efe agency.

The case is related to the transfer of the Spanish Super Cup to Saudi Arabia, a business in which Kosmos, the company that belongs to former soccer player Gerard Piqué, is involved.

The operation was carried out in the same place where the Spanish National Team is concentrated, which this Friday will play a friendly match against Colombia in London, although the normal development of the team's practices was not affected.

The agents were looking for irregular contracts concluded in recent years during the presidency of Luis Rubiales, who resigned from his position last year as a result of the scandal over the forced kiss of the player Jenni Hermoso. during the celebration of the women's world title won by Spain.

The operation was ordered by a court in Majadahonda, near Madrid, which is investigating the contracts to bring the Spanish Super Cup to Arabia signed by Rubiales in 2019, which meant 40 million euros annually for the RFEF.

It should be remembered that Piqué's company, Kosmos, was an intermediary in that negotiation. “Today, the RFEF has offered full collaboration to the State Security Forces and Bodies, as well as to Justice, after the search of its headquarters,” The Federation reported in a statement.

The case has to do with “an investigation linked to alleged criminal acts associated with corruption in business, unfair administration and money laundering,” according to judicial sources.

The operation left seven people detained, among whom are Tomás González Cueto, external legal advisor of Rubiales; Pedro González Segura, director of legal services at the RFEF, and José Javier Giménez, director of Human Resources of the entity.

This is how Luis Rubiales reacted to the operation

“I'm absolutely surprised by all this. I've been working in the Dominican Republic for months. I've been working for more than a month straight. And in fact, my family was going to spend Easter with me,” declared Rubiales in a message sent to the Telecinco channel, revealed by journalist Isabel Rábago.

There were not only raids on the RFEF headquarters in Las Rozas. Several homes were also searched, including Rubiales' own, in Granada, as well as the La Cartuja stadium in Seville, which will host the Copa del Rey final on April 6.

The case began to roll out after Miguel Galán, president of the National School of Soccer Coaches in Spain (Cenafe), filed a complaint against Rubiales and Piqué.

In her, Galán claimed that Rubiales and Piqué “agreed on a plan to profit from 24 million euros (26 million dollars) in collusion and at the expense of the RFEF.” To do this, he relied on press information.

Galán also asked that an investigation be made into whether Rubiales paid for a leisure trip to New York in 2018 with RFEF money.

“The Federation has not paid, nor does it pay, nor will it pay a single euro in commission to anyone for this operation,” Rubiales assured in 2022, while Piqué stated in this regard: “Everything we have done is legal and there has been no conflict of interest.” “.

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With Efe

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