This Friday, March 14th, Gerard Piqué appeared before the court to defend himself against accusations related to the commissions received by his company, Kosmos, for brokering the transfer of the Spanish Super Cup to Saudi Arabia.
At one point during the hearing, the former footballer broke down in tears as he claimed that the whole process has caused irreparable damage to his reputation. Piqué arrived at the Majadahonda Investigative Court early in the morning, facing an investigation to clarify if there were irregularities in the agreement that allowed him to receive a commission of four million euros annually.
Gerard Piqué breaks down in tears during the trial for the Spanish Super Cup
Throughout his testimony, the former FC Barcelona player denied having received payments from the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) and reiterated that his role was exclusively as an intermediary between Saudi Arabia and the RFEF.
“I am suffering incalculable reputational damage,” he said with a trembling voice. “I am surprised that to this day, information that directly affects my image continues to be leaked.” During his speech, Piqué also lamented that instead of being recognized for having generated significant income for the RFEF, he is being subjected to a judicial process.
“In another country, they would have honored me for what I achieved,” he assured. “You don’t know the harm this does to me, in another country I would have a statue.” The former Barcelona defender and Spanish national team player denied any kind of payment to Luis Rubiales, former president of the RFEF, and defended the legality of the 12 million euros that his company received from the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF).
Piqué claims that his reputation has been damaged
The former footballer’s defense presented invoices, bank receipts, and emails to the court that, according to their version, support the transparency of the agreement. Piqué explained that his relationship with the Saudi public company SELA was based on a “gentleman’s agreement”, which was later formalized when the RFEF signed the contract with Saudi Arabia in 2019.
He also pointed out that the negotiation never involved a conflict of interest with his career as a footballer. The case is still ongoing and the final decision of the court will be crucial for the future of the former player and entrepreneur. Meanwhile, Piqué continues to defend his honor and integrity in a process that, according to him, has seriously affected his public and professional image.