BARCELONA-. He former president of the Spanish Football Federation Luis Rubiales says he will return to the country to face a judicial investigation into the business agreement to hold the Spanish Super Cup in Saudi Arabiajudicial officials said Thursday.
Rubiales was in the Dominican Republic when police searched a home he owned in Granada and the RFEF offices in Madrid on Wednesday as part of an investigation into corruption and money laundering. Authorities made seven arrests and Rubiales was identified as one of five additional people under investigation.
A judicial official told The Associated Press that, in the hours after the searches, Rubiales' lawyer informed the Madrid court handling the case of his intention to cooperate and that he planned to return to the country on April 6, although I would be willing to return sooner if a judge asks for it.
Rubiales' lawyer provided a copy of his return plane ticket from the Dominican Republic. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the case publicly.
The court has not issued any arrest warrant against Rubiales or the others investigated in the case.
The prosecution explained that in the operation 11 properties were searched in search of documents.
During his tenure at the helm of the Federation, Rubiales reformed the Super Cup format in 2020, creating a mini-tournament with four teams and moving the competition to Saudi Arabia as part of an agreement by which the highest governing body of Spanish football ol would supposedly receive 40 million euros (then $42 million) per tournament.
The prosecution opened an investigation into the agreement in 2022 after the leak of some audios between Rubiales and Gerard Piqué, who was then playing for Barcelona, about millionaire commissions. The former soccer player's sports entertainment company, Kosmos, participated in the agreement with the Federation and Saudi Arabia.
A company official told the AP that none of Kosmos' employees had been detained or placed under investigation, and that none of their properties had been searched.
Rubiales resigned from the position in September after causing an international scandal after kissing Jenni Hermoso without her consent during the ceremony in which the women's team received the Women's World Cup title in August. Rubiales has a trial pending for alleged sexual assault of the soccer player and she has denied having committed any crime in that case.
