The Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) promoted FC Andorra to the Second B, owned by then FC Barcelona player Gerard Piqué, in July 2019, when this was already the case Since April 5 of the same year, there was an advance agreement between the then President of the federation body, Luis Rubiales and the Sela Sport Company Limited so that the Supercup could be held in Saudi Arabia.
The award of the place to FC Andorra was challenged by the Commission of Third and Second Division Clubs (ProLiga), which appealed to the Higher Sports Council (CSD) seeking the decision allowing FC Andorra to take over from CF Reus in the second league occupied. Department B. This club considered that the RFEF had misinterpreted the General Regulationsas it relied on Article 194, which, in its opinion, excluded the possibility of the vacant place going to a club recently promoted to the third division. The case of FC Andorra, which never competed in this category, jumped by two at once: from First Catalan to Second B. After the CSD confirmed Rubiales’ decision, ProLiga decided not to go to court, so that the association’s decision became final.
He Document entitled “Essential Clauses”to which El Periódico de España had access from Prensa Ibérica, states that the Saudi company acted “on behalf of and on behalf of the General Sports Authority of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia“. He also points out that the fees that the RFEF would receive would be 28.5 million euros. However, the Saudi company could reduce the payment by 5 million if Real Madrid or Barça do not qualify for the competition.
“Full effect”
The preliminary contract contains a clause stating that these “essential clauses” represented the culmination of all negotiations conducted up to that point, April 2019. This preliminary agreement, which had to be ratified by the Saudi authorities, would have “full force and effect until the parties prepare and sign the final agreement. A few days ago, the former chief of staff and uncle of the resigned president of the RFEF, Juan Rubiales, assured that his nephew and Piqué had secretly traveled to London to sign a “preliminary contract” to bring the Super Cup to Saudi Arabia, without specifying on which date this meeting took place.
The information and records published by El Confidencial show that Piqué played a relevant role in the agreement between the Rubiales association and the authorities of the Asian country, finally ratified in a contract dated September 11, 2019, through which his company received payments Saudi Arabia 24 million euros commission. This document, contained in the summary of the sale of the rights to the Super Cup to Saudi Arabia, which is being investigated by the head of the Investigative Court No. 4 of Majadahonda (Madrid), as commission agent the company Kosmos Football SL, owned by the former Blaugrana player.
“Empty warehouse”
The exact bank accounts of the company Kosmos Football SL document that this company was founded on July 26, 2019 paid 452,000 euros to the RFEF for the “free 2/B depot of FC Andorra”, as stated in a report from the tax authority’s support unit to the anti-corruption prosecutor’s office dated September 1, 2022. Also in this case, a recording of a conversation between Rubiales and the former Barça player published by El Confidencial shows that the owner of FC Andorra has been asking the president of the association for information since December 2018: “A statement was published in which it is said that in three days a deadline expires to try to buy (the Plaza del Reus) from anyone who wants, etc.” . Just so you can explain to me a little bit how it works and how you see it, so you can inform me a little bit about everything. Thanks, Crack.”
Reus would play in Second B this season after a General non-payment of payroll will result in their exclusion from the second division In the middle of last season 2018/19. The Tarragona team stopped playing and the season ended with 21 teams participating. Given this, although he had the right to play in the second division in the 2019/20 season following his administrative relegation, the chances of him actually doing so have been close to zero since the winter Reus had to pay a deposit of 200,000 euros when he couldn’t pay a single salary for months.
The Plaza del Reus controversy
The RFEF, as has been customary in such cases in the past, decided to set a price for the vacancy, namely the above-mentioned 452,000 euros. That caused Clubs want more sports rights for promotion (according to the general provisions of RFEF), like Hospitalet, then reigning champions of the Catalan third division, could not fill this vacant place.
The decision regarding administrative relegation to Tercera del Reus was signed by the Secretary General of the RFEF (then and now). Andrey Camps. The Catalan club appealed this decision Sports Administrative Court (TAD)who agreed with Reus on a procedural issue because the RFEF did not give him “the opportunity to assert and justify what was appropriate to his rights” before the decision.
The RFEF appealed the TAD ruling to the ordinary courts, which in 2021 approved the relegation of Reus to the Third Division, considering that the failure to submit the endorsement constituted a reason for inadmissibility, in the Second B to play. Last March The case was closed and the RFEF decision was confirmedafter the regional court rejected the public prosecutor’s appeal.
Piqué and Rubiales’ income
The same bank account was used that Piqué used to pay the association for FC Andorra’s place The signing of the former FC Barcelona player will receive a total of 11,999,000 euros from the Saudi company Sela as of December 18, 2019.. Rubiales also had an important advantage from the contract with the Arab country, since from 2020 (with the previous positive approval of the Assembly) the variable part of his salary depends on the total revenue of the RFEF and not only on the revenue linked to sponsorship. .
His income tax return shows that the former president of the federal body In 2019, the earned income was 458,655 euros, in 2020 it was 955,078 euros.as this writing progressed.
Prensa Ibérica’s El Periódico de España has asked FC Andorra, Piqué’s company and the RFEF for their version of events without receiving a response. Despite it, Those involved in the events have at all times defended the legality of the promotion of the club owned by the former Barça player.