Luis Rubiales Detained By’ Police In Spain Amid Corruption Investigation

Spanish police have detained the disgraced former football federation president Luis Rubiales on his return to the country amid an ongoing corruption probe.

Spain’s Civil Guard said that Rubiales is being questioned by police at Madrid’s airport after he was detained on exiting the plane that brought him back home from the Dominican Republic. Police have 72 hours to hand Rubiales over to a judge or release him.

Rubiales, who was in the Dominican Republic two weeks ago when authorities raided his property in Granada and the Spanish Football Federation offices in Madrid as part of a corruption and money laundering investigation involving the Super Cup & other deals, has found himself under investigation. Seven individuals were detained by’ the police, with Rubiales identified as one of five additional persons under investigation.

After resigning as the federation’s president in September due to a scandal involving an alleged non-consensual kiss with Spain player Jenni Hermoso after the Women’s World Cup final, Rubiales is now facing a trial for the alleged assault. Despite these accusations, he maintains his innocence.

Cutting short his overseas trip by three days, Rubiales had initially informed the court of his return on Saturday. His tenure as the head of Spanish football saw significant changes, including the remolding of the Spanish Super Cup in 2020, transforming it into a four-team tournament held in Saudi Arabia, reportedly securing a €40 million deal for each tournament.

In 2022, prosecutors initiated an investigation into the Super Cup deal following leaked audio conversations between Rubiales & former Barcelona player Gerard Piqué concerning substantial commissions. While Piqué’s company Kosmos was involved in the agreement with the federation and Saudi Arabia, no Kosmos employee has been detained or placed under investigation, & the company’s assets have not been subject to raids.