Piqué asked Rubiales to go to the Tokyo Olympics: "You have to do it to me, Rubi"

In the latest information published by

, Gerard Piqué asks the president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), Luis Rubiales, to be included in the team that Spain would take to the Tokyo Olympics in the summer of 2021. In the recordings , sent to Rubiales on June 22, 2019, Piqué insists on keeping the plan secret: “What's up, Rubi, how are you?

I'm here in the Bahamas and I just watched the Under-21 game against Poland, what a great game, man!

Look how hard they had it, huh?

God!

How they have qualified for the Olympic Games… You have to do this for me, eh, Rubi, you have to get it for me, damn it.

It gives me an illusion that you shit play the Olympic Games.

And we have to keep it very secret, man.”

The U-21 team, led by Luis de la Fuente, had just beaten Poland 5-0, so — they needed to win by more than three goals — they qualified for the European semi-finals and, more importantly, got the ticket to the Tokyo Olympics.

Piqué contacted Rubiales and, in full negotiations for the contract with Saudi Arabia, requested a mediation to which the president of the RFEF was not reluctant at any time: "Of course, it must be kept secret and the coach [of the Source], if he trusts, wants and pulls

, I'm delighted.

I would like you to come even to the absolute [selection], because we need you more [...] I am delighted to lend a hand there”.

In Olympic football, the rule allows each country to call up a maximum of three players over the age of 23 to complete the squad.

Piqué, 32 at the time, was eager to enter the squad for the event, but he did not want it to be known: “Rubi, above all, if you talk to the U21 coach tomorrow, keep it super-confidential.

If you can tell him, let it be something between us, that no one else knows […] If this leaks, there will be other players who will want to go and it will be a problem for him [de la Fuente ] also".

Before saying goodbye from the Bahamas, where he was enjoying his vacations, the center-back highlighted the agreement reached for the benefit of Rubiales in relation to the Spanish Super Cup: "And congratulations, man, I think we've made a hell of a contract with the Saudis."

Piqué's suspicions were fulfilled months later, in October, when the newspaper

published that Sergio Ramos, still at Real Madrid, planned to play with the under-21s at the Tokyo Olympics.

“Do you know anything about this?” Piqué asked Rubiales, who denied having any knowledge of it: “First news.

No idea.

Word that I have been stone.

And today I have been with him [Sergio Ramos].

I do not think it's true".

Two days later, Rubiales contacts the Barça central defender and confirms: “Geri, what you told me about Sergio [Ramos] sounds like it's true, because they told me he wants to talk to me.

I'll tell you things."

Piqué, aware of the madridista's intentions, commented that "filtering it first [to the press] to put pressure on is very much his style [referring to Ramos]".

Rubiales agreed with him.

Piqué, restless, insisted and the next day he asked the top manager of Spanish football if he had already spoken with Sergio Ramos.

Rubiales denied it, but admitted that he had already been asked about the issue in an interview with Spanish Television: "I answered that I do not enter into sports decisions."

Weeks later, Ramos publicly confirmed his desire to be in Tokyo.

In the end, the pandemic forced the Olympic event to be delayed a year and the Games, scheduled for 2020, were held in the summer of 2021. Ramos, with a calf injury, did not enter the call.

Pique, neither.

As the norm allows, Luis de la Fuente summoned three footballers over 23 years of age for the event: Dani Ceballos (Real Madrid), Marco Asensio (Real Madrid) and Mikel Merino (Real Sociedad).

Spain played a great role and won the silver medal after losing in the extra time of the final against Brazil (2-1).

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