Leaked audios reveal deal between Pique and Spanish federation

Hackers obtained audio from the

Spanish soccer association

, revealing that

defender

assisted in negotiating a 24 million euro ($25.9 million) fee to bring the Spanish Super Cup to

Saudi Arabia

.

As part of an agreement worth reportedly 40 million euros per tournament, the federation revised the format of the Super Cup in 2020, creating a "Final Four" and shifting the competition to Saudi Arabia. According to

El Confidencial

newspaper, which published the audios on Monday, Pique's Kosmos group would be paid four million euros every tournament by the Saudi organizers for negotiating the six-year pact.

In the audios, Pique stated that the money would be split between the clubs, with the federation keeping roughly six million euros. The federation informed El Confidencial that nothing discussed in the audios or during the negotiations was illegal and that the terms of the agreement had already been made public.

When the deal was first disclosed, federation president Luis Rubiales stated that no commission would be paid to Pique. Human rights organizations slammed the federation for its choice to play in Saudi Arabia. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the Super Cup will be played in Spain again in 2021.

The audios were made public just days after the federation announced that it had been hacked, with hackers stealing emails, text messages, and documents involving top executives. The federation believes the information was given to Spanish media outlets anonymously. It stated that it has requested an investigation from authorities. In several audios, Rubiales is also accused of making insulting statements against

.

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