The ‘Operation Brodie’ investigation continues. The last to testify was Tomás González Cueto, former external legal advisor of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF)which this Thursday confirmed that the company Gerard Piqué, Cosmos, was part of the preparation of the contracts who brought the Spanish Super Cup to Saudi Arabia.
As González Cueto revealed before the Court of Instruction number 4 of Majadahonda, and reports ReliefGC Legal, his firm, in April 2019 received two pre-contracts sent by Rubén Riveraformer marketing director of the RFEF, and other managers, including two Kosmos representatives. Once the documents were received, the lawyer brought them to the attention of Andreu Camps, former secretary general of the RFEF, and Jorge Mowinckel, current director of Strategy and International Relations of the Federation.
After receiving suggestions from both and making modifications to the contracts, Raquel Serrano, González Cueto’s partner, sent two contracts, one related to SELA’s relationship with the RFEF, and another for SELA with the RFEF and the clubs. Although it was not until July 31, 2019 when Kosmos’ lawyer gave his approval to the documents via email.
A month later, SELA and RFEF broke off relations, so the Federation tried to reach an agreement with Qatar, something that was not achieved because Doha did not accept one of the clauses – relating to compensation for the breach of the agreement – proposed by the Federation. Already in September, Kosmos contacted Rivera again to put two new contracts on the tablewith the offer of 40 million euros from Saudi, and resume negotiations with Riyadh.
On September 11, the day the signatures were placed on the contracts, SELA proposed the incorporation of the commission of four million euros to Kosmos, reports Relevo. A clause that, according to González Cueto, was advantageous for the Federation. The coronavirus pandemic forced both parties to sign an addendum, in March 2020, in which Cueto, Piqué and lawyers from all parties were presentso that the edition of that year’s Super Cup would be held in Spain even though it was scheduled to be held in Arabia.
Regarding his employment relationship with the RFEF, the former federation advisor has assured that His contract with the organization included a fixed and a variable. In addition, he has ruled out the possible existence of a conflict of interest due to being an external advisor and consultant in relation to the agency’s contracts, and has confirmed the income of four million euros since his involvement in 2018 until his separation last March.
González Cueto has also defended that the company Gruconsa, in which the brother of the former director of legal services of the RFEF, Ángel Ignacio González Segura, provided services and was contracted to carry out the improvement works at the La Cartuja stadium in Seville, by an agreement with the Andalusian government, and other works in Las Rozas, was chosen for having previously done a stadium audit.
The Andalusian stadium hosted the Spanish team’s matches at Euro 2020, delayed by the pandemic, and has since been the scene of the Copa del Rey final. According to a court order, the RFEF paid 2.6 million euros between 2020 and 2022 to this companywhich in turn made payments to the company Dismatec, managed by a friend of former President Rubiales, Francisco Javier Martín Alcaide, Nene
Tomás González Cueto is one of those investigated by the Madrid court for ‘operation Brodie’ together with Luis Rubiales, Pedro Rocha, former vice president of the RFEF who replaced him as president, Gerard Piqué, Francisco Javier Martín Alcaide, the former director of legal services Pedro Manuel González Segura and his brother Ángel Ignatius.
