Gerard Piqué Under Investigation for Bribes: Scandal Hits Spanish Football Federation
Alarm bells are ringing around the famous former footballer Gerard Piqué, who has been in the spotlight in recent years. Since his separation from Shakira, Piqué has been a hot topic on social media and in various media outlets. However, this time, the Spaniard is under scrutiny for reasons unrelated to his past relationship with the Colombian singer.
The attention has turned to footballer Gerard Piqué, not for matters related to his ex-partner Shakira, but for a more complex situation. It has been revealed that he is being investigated by the Spanish justice system for suspicion of offering “bribes” to various executives of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), including Luis Rubiales, the former president of the Federation, during negotiations to move the Supercopa to Saudi Arabia, according to reports from the EFE agency.
This news has caused a stir in the community and has been confirmed by several Spanish media outlets. Additionally, judicial authorities in the country are conducting an investigation involving 96 bank accounts and 27 companies in which Gerard Piqué has some form of ownership or participation.
Luis Rubiales, who was president of the RFEF until last September, was detained upon his arrival at Barajas airport in Madrid. However, he was released a few hours later after giving his statement to the authorities. The investigations are focusing on the contracts made by Rubiales during his tenure at the RFEF.
This situation has created a stir in the Spanish football world, known as Operation Brody. This operation is focusing on possible illegal contracts between the RFEF and several companies during Rubiales’ presidency, which spanned from 2018 to 2023. This scandal arises in a context where Rubiales was already facing criticism and questioning for other events.
The consequences for those involved have been significant. The National Court Prosecutor’s Office has requested two and a half years of imprisonment for Rubiales for the aforementioned kiss, considered illegal as it did not have Hermoso’s consent. Measures such as supervised release, a communication ban with Hermoso, and financial compensation for the footballer have also been requested.
Additionally, a year and a half of imprisonment has been requested for Rubiales and other individuals involved, including Jorge Vilda, the former coach of the Spanish women’s national team, Rubén Rivera, the former marketing manager of the RFEF, and Albert Luque, the sports director of the Spanish men’s national team.
It is pointed out that Piqué may have to testify as well, given the relationship of the other individuals with a presumed coercion crime related to alleged pressures to justify the non-consensual kiss to Hermoso. In the midst of this scandal, Miguel Ángel Galán Castellanos, president of the National Center for Coach Training in Spain, has harshly criticized Gerard Piqué, suggesting that Piqué’s situation might worsen and that he may have to testify as a suspect, as the company Kosmos, associated with Piqué, is also implicated in the investigation alongside Rubiales.
