New Delhi: The UEFA funds scam involving Lionel Messi and Gerard Pique has resurfaced after a Spanish court reopened the investigation. Reports claim that former Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) president Luis Rubiales tried to divert UEFA funds to cover salary cuts for Messi and Pique at Barcelona during the COVID-19 crisis. UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin is also under scrutiny for allegedly helping with the scheme.
Leaked audio recordings suggest Rubiales negotiated with Ceferin to redirect around €50 million from UEFA’s broadcasting rights. While no proof confirms the funds were diverted, the case has raised serious concerns about corruption in football.
Did Lionel Messi and Pique try to steal UEFA funds?
🚨💣 #THEOBJECTIVE 🇪🇸
Un juez español abre una causa contra Messi, Piqué, Rubiales y Ceferin por corrupción.
El caso tiene que ver con el presunto desvío de fondos de la UEFA desvelado por THE OBJECTIVE.
(@teresagomezgp) pic.twitter.com/G5AMiTDPyZ
— SrNaninho (@SrNaninho) January 29, 2025
In 2020, Barcelona announced a 70% wage cut for players to handle financial losses caused by the pandemic. According to the Spanish newspaper The Objective, Messi and Pique allegedly met with Rubiales and Ceferin to discuss a plan where UEFA’s broadcasting funds would be redirected to compensate for their lost wages.
Leaked audio recordings are now being examined as potential evidence. In one such clip, Rubiales reportedly tells Ceferin, “I’m sending you this audio with a message from Leo Messi. It’s my voice, but his message.” He allegedly suggested sending Ceferin a signed Barcelona jersey as part of the negotiation. Another recording reportedly has Rubiales saying, “There is no need to spend money. We just change where the funds go.”
What happens next in the investigation?
🔴 Pique and Messi held talks with UEFA in order to ‘divert’ UEFA funds to compensate their salary losses during COVID.
Rubiales held talks for them with Ceferin: “Its my voice but its Messi words,”
“if people find out, they are going to kill us,”
— Real Madrid Info ³⁶ (@RMadridInfo) May 22, 2024
There is no confirmed proof that UEFA actually diverted any funds to Messi or other Barcelona players. However, the leaked conversations have raised concerns about corruption in football’s financial dealings.
Spain’s Court of Instruction number 5 in Granada has ordered authorities to investigate within five days and decide whether to take legal action against Messi, Pique, Rubiales, and Ceferin. If enough evidence is found, the case could move to trial, leading to serious consequences.
The scandal has once again put UEFA’s financial transparency under scrutiny. Fans are questioning the integrity of football’s governing bodies, and this case could further damage UEFA’s reputation. Messi and Pique have yet to respond publicly, but with legal proceedings underway, more revelations may come soon.
The UEFA funds scam involving Lionel Messi and Gerard Pique has resurfaced after a Spanish court decided to reopen the investigation. The case focuses on claims that former Spanish football federation (RFEF) president Luis Rubiales tried to divert UEFA funds to help cover salary reductions Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
