Gerard Pique: Barcelona Legend Probed over Saudi Arabia Deal to Host Spanish Super Cup

• Gerard Pique is being investigated for allegedly sending 'gifts' to Luis Rubiales
• Pique's company, Kosmos, is implicated in a Super Cup move to Saudi in 2020
• Rubiales has been detained in a Spanish Football Federation corruption probe

A court in Madrid has reportedly placed Gerard Pique under investigation as part of a probe into suspected corruption involving a deal to move the Spanish Super Cup to Saudi Arabia.

The investigation encompasses Spanish football federation contracts signed since 2018, including one orchestrated by disgraced former federation president Luis Rubiales to have the oil-rich Gulf state host the Spanish Super Cup.

The contracts for the Super Cup, valued at 40 million euros annually ($43 million), were brokered by Kosmos, a company owned by former Barcelona and Spain defender Piqué.

'He's heading to a team of egos': Ex France star's verdict on Kylian Mbappe's move to Real Madrid

Football

The court cited "possible illegalities with criminal implications" in the contracts, including a clause guaranteeing Kosmos an annual commission of four million euros.

Piqué has been officially included in the investigation group for the alleged corruption case impacting Spanish football.

In March, Spanish police searched 11 locations, including the RFEF's Madrid headquarters and former president Luis Rubiales' house in Granada, as part of the investigation.

Rubiales was forced to step down as RFEF boss in September after forcibly kissing Women's World Cup star Jenni Hermoso following Spain's triumph in the Sydney final in August.

Prosecutors had in 2022 opened an investigation into the Super Cup deal after audio recordings between Rubiales and Pique were leaked in which they spoke of multi-millions value commissions.

Rubiales has always defended the legality of the deal to take the Super Cup to Saudi Arabia.

Sargent returns to US squad for pre-COPA friendlies

Football

Pique has also insisted that everything was "legal", saying he was "proud" of the deal.

The probe was expanded in April to include Rubiales' successor, Pedro Rocha.

The Spanish Super Cup took place for the first time in Saudi Arabia in 2020.

It returned to Spain a year later due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but the subsequent three competitions have taken place in Saudi.

Pique had played twice with Barcelona in Spanish Super Cups in Saudi Arabia before retiring from football in November 2022.

Rubiales' mother on hunger strike

Meanwhile, Sports Brief also reported that Rubiales' mother went on hunger strike until her son is vindicated of what she described as an 'inhumane and bloody hunt'.

Angeles Bejar claimed she left her house and locked herself up in a church as the media would not stop harassing her, saying her son was being judged before his time.