MADRID, 18 Abr. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), Luis Rubiales, and the FC Barcelona player and president of Kosmos, Gerard Piqué, would have agreed a commission of 24 million euros to bring the Spanish Super Cup to Saudi Arabia, according to reveal a series of audios between the two published by ‘El Confidencial’.
As revealed by the digital media, the RFEF introduced two clauses in the contract to force Saudi Arabia to pay Kosmos four million euros per year as a ‘success fee’, a figure that, if not paid, would have the consequence that the Super Cup would stop to be played in the Asian country.
Thus, in addition to the money that the RFEF would receive from the Saudi public company, Sela, for each edition held in Arab lands, Piqué’s company would charge four for each of the six years signed, a total of 24.
The first edition of the Spanish Super Cup in Saudi Arabia was played in January 2020, with Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, Atlético de Madrid and Valencia as protagonists. Rubiales himself assured at the time that Kosmos had intervened in the negotiations with the Arab leaders, but that he had not paid any commission to the company.
This Monday, ‘El Confidencial’ publishes a series of audios of how the negotiations took place. “Geri, look. I’m going to talk about this with Real Madrid. I think Real Madrid is going to say no to me. Since Real Madrid is going to say no to me, that comes from a fucking mother to justify ourselves in the face of the future. We say that (Camp Nou) is the stadium with the most capacity, that it is the League champion (FC Barcelona), that it is the Cup champion or Cup finalist. I think we have legitimacy,” he said in an audio of the month of March 2019 Rubiales to Piqué.
“I think it would be a good idea to do everything there. Maybe, instead of renting it for half a kilo each game, you can rent it for more and get two kilos or two and a half kilos. I think that Barça also has a margin of business there”, added the president of the RFEF about the possible organization of the competition in the Barça club’s field.
Days later, Piqué answers Rubiales about the possibility of going to Saudi Arabia. “Let’s see, Rubi, if it’s a matter of money… If they would go for eight, eight are paid to Madrid and eight to Barça, the others are paid two and one. There are 19, you stay with the Federation six ‘ kilos’, uncle. Before you don’t keep anything, we squeeze Saudi Arabia, we tell them that Madrid might not go and we take a stick or two more from them. Before doing it in Spain, that you are not going to win even three, It’s something to think about if it’s a money issue,” said the Barça player.
“Rubi, he is referring not to the fact that you pay the commission, but that in the end we have tried to remove the commission from the 25 million. That way you receive the 25 million without the commission. He is saying that we should not push him so hard, that at In the end, the commission would be reduced from you, but you would not pay it, they would pay it. They would keep 10% of 25, two and a half, and they would pay you 22 and a half. The commission would be separate, they would pay it, don’t worry for that reason. He is simply saying that you consider the possibility of, instead of taking the commission out of the equation, expect that the commission is included in the price, “he indicated in another audio to the president of the RFEF.
Finally, on September 15, 2019, Rubiales confirmed in another audio to Piqué that the agreement was made. “Geri, congratulations. And I’m not referring to yesterday’s great game or your goal. I’m referring to the fact that it’s already past twelve o’clock and therefore the agreement with Saudi Arabia is already firm. A hug, thanks for everything and here I’m here for whatever you need. Well, except for some little things that you almost better not need me. A huge hug, take care of yourself, friend, “he said.