An 'anti-Pique' clause set to be introduced in Spain after Barcelona defender's commercial activities

An "anti-Pique" clause is set to be introduced in response to the Barcelona centre-back's involvement in the deal that brought the Spanish Super Cup to Saudi Arabia.

In April, Pique was in the spotlight after being accused of making millions from the Super Cup's new format and moving it to the Middle East.

The 35-year-old, through his company Kosmos, helped broker the deal with Luis Rubiales, the Spanish FA (RFEF) president.

The WhatsApp audio exchanges between the pair from September 2019 were leaked online by El Confidencial, who alleged that Pique's firm made €24m (£19.9 million) for negotiating the six-year contract.

There was no transferring of funds between Rubiales and Pique, who was paid by Saudi Arabia - so the arrangement was legal.

However, AS are reporting that it will not be the case going forward as part of a new sports law. Article 47 states that the the rule, known as "the anti-Pique clause", prohibits any active player from having commercial links with a competition they may well participate in.

"For the organization of these activities and official sports competitions at the state level, no commercial relationship may be established with an active athlete who is likely to participate in them," is the overview of the regulation.

There will be no action taken against Pique as the law is not retrospective once it is approved by the Congress of Deputies, though no other player will be able to repeat his business exploits.

Image: Alamy

Pique has regularly denied any wrongdoing and claims his commission fee was "relatively normal" and "in line with the market".

“Everything we have done is legal, I’m going to expose my part in the conflict of interest, I want to show my face because I have nothing to hide," he said on Twitch.

"I am proud of what we do at Kosmos. We wanted to change the format of the competition and make it more interesting for the viewer. That has repercussions on income. The president, Luis Rubiales, really liked the idea.

“Saudi Arabia was not the only option. The United States and Qatar were on the table. In the end, they decided to go to Saudi Arabia.

“The commission? In the world that we live in, it’s relatively normal. It moves between 10 and 15% and we believed that it was in line with what agencies charge for carrying out this type of management. The commission is in line with the market."

The first Spanish Super Cup in Saudi Arabia took place in January 2020. The 2023 iteration will feature champions Real Madrid, Copa del Rey winners Real Betis, Barcelona and Valencia and take place at King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh.

Topics: Barcelona, Gerard Pique, Spain

Josh Lawless

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