The digital and independent newspaper The Objective reported this Wednesday that it held documents which attest to an embezzlement of funds concerning UEFA, the body which governs European football, and the players Lionel Messi and Gerard Piqué. The two former FC Barcelona teammates would have contacted Luis Rubiales, former president of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), following the economic crisis linked to Covid-19, in April 2020.
Many clubs had subjected their players to a salary reduction to cope with the crisis. Barça have reportedly offered a reduction of up to 70% in the salaries of their players. The Objective reports that Piqué became Messi’s spokesperson to Rubiales, sharing the Argentine star’s fears about this sharply falling salary. Rubiales would then have agreed to serve as an intermediary with Aleksander Ceferin, president of UEFA.
Rubiales reportedly suggested “using UEFA funds” to compensate for these players’ financial losses, and passing them through the RFEF in order to redistribute them. “They (Piqué and Messi) told me clearly that, please, no one should know about this because, if people find out, they will kill us,” Rubiales reportedly told Ceferin. “Even my dog won’t know,” the Slovenian leader reportedly promised, re-elected UEFA president in 2023 with a mandate that runs until 2027.
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The exchanges between Piqué, Messi, Rubiales and Ceferin would have continued until June 2020. The Objective does not specify whether the operation hoped for by the four men was successful. Messi, eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, then played a final season at Barcelona before leaving, notably due to the club’s serious financial problems, and signing for PSG.
Piqué, Spanish defender and world champion in 2010, continued to play for Barça until December 31, 2022 before retiring. Rubiales resigned from the presidency of the RFEF in September 2023 following the controversy concerning the forced kiss of which he was the author on player Jenni Hermoso.