A Spanish judge has broadened her inquiry into the Spanish Football Federation's decision to relocate the Spanish Super Cup to Saudi Arabia, now encompassing former player Gerard Pique.
Judge Delia Rodrigo officially added the former Spain and Barcelona defender to the list of individuals under investigation, as detailed in court documents released to the press.
The investigation focuses on allegations of corruption and money laundering surrounding the 2019 relocation of the Spanish Super Cup to Saudi Arabia, a controversial decision made during the tenure of former Federation President Luis Rubiales.
The Madrid-based court said Thursday that contracts signed between the Federation and Saudi Arabia in 2019 and 2020 concluded in a 10-year agreement to stage the mini-football tournament in the Middle Eastern nation for 40 million euros ($43 million) a year.
But documents confiscated by police raids in March showed that another 4 million euros a year were to be paid as a commission to Pique's sports entertainment company Kosmos while Pique was still playing for Barcelona and participating in the Super Cup.
Pique has since retired from football. Kosmos was involved in revamping tennis' Davis Cup and also starting the alternative King's League football competition in Spain that has expanded to Latin America.
In April, the same judge requested for a bank account of Kosmos to be frozen.
Kosmos did not immediately respond to messages requesting comment.
The case is still at its investigative phase. The judge can either conclude to shelve it or recommend it go to trial.
Police arrested Rubiales and other Federation employees earlier in April. He was quickly released. The probe was then expanded to include Rubiales' successor, Pedro Rocha.
Rocha took over as interim Federation President after Rubiales stepped down in September, weeks after he became a national embarrassment for kissing a player without her consent during the Women's World Cup awards ceremony.
