Barcelona icon Gerard Pique under investigation for allegedly earning £34m illegally to help relocate Spanish Super Cup to Saudi Arabia - Reports
Barcelona legend Gerard Pique is under investigation for illegally partaking in the move to relocate the Spanish Super Cup to Saudi Arabia, for which he reportedly earned £34 million. This allegedly happened during the defender's time at the Camp Nou, where he enjoyed an impressive playing career.
Pique joined Barca in 2008 and went on to become a key part of their golden years alongside Lionel Messi. He ended his career at the club in 2022, playing 616 times across competitions.
However, before his exit, he got into trouble with the tax authorities for allegedly evading taxes between 2008 and 2010. It was eventually resolved in 2019, and he was ordered by a court in Spain to reimburse the tax offices €2.1 million.
Once again, even though he has since left Barcelona, Gerard Pique has gotten into more legal troubles. Reports from Daily Mail say that the Barca legend and former Spanish FA president Luis Rubiales are under investigation as suspects for a corruption case.
It's believed that Pique and Rubiales worked together to broker a deal that saw the Spanish Super Cup moved to Saudi Arabia since 2020. The competition has always taken place in Spain since its formative years in the 1980s. Pique's company Kosmos allegedly got paid £34 million, 10% of the £340 million the FA has received.
The case originally emerged in 2022 due to revelations of audio recordings between the Barcelona legend and the former Spanish FA president. So far, Rubiales' home in Granada has been searched by authorities.
Barcelona legend Pique discusses Manchester United managerial situation
Gerard Pique might be under investigation for his role in moving the Spanish Super Cup to Saudi Arabia, but the ex-defender has had time to discuss football. During an interview with TalkSPORT, he talked about his former club Manchester United and revealed his concerns about their managerial situation.
Notably, there's much uncertainty around the future of manager Erik ten Hag, who has struggled to meet expectations at Old Trafford. While he led them to a subpar eighth place in the Premier League, he won the FA Cup against Manchester City.
Discussing if Ten Hag should remain the manager, the Barcelona legend said in his interview (via Stretty News):
“I don’t know. I think that the board of United really needs to understand what they want for the club in the next few years and really if they believe in Ten Hag or not, they need to make the decision.”
Time will tell if Erik ten Hag continues at Old Trafford or continues elsewhere after this summer.