Spanish police detain former soccer chief Luis Rubiales amid corruption investigation

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Rubiales raised questions on a commerce deal to switch the Spanish Tremendous Cup to Saudi Arabia, which was signed throughout his tenure as president.

The Civil Guard says police have detained Luis Rubiales, former president of the Royal Spanish Soccer Federation, upon his return to Spain as a part of an ongoing corruption investigation.

The nationwide police drive mentioned Rubiales was questioned by police at Madrid's airport after being detained on Wednesday after exiting the aircraft that introduced him dwelling from the Dominican Republic. Then he was launched.

Rubiales returned to Spain as a result of there was a judicial investigation right into a enterprise deal to prepare the Spanish Tremendous Cup in Saudi Arabia.

Rubiales was within the Dominican Republic two weeks in the past when police raided his properties in Granada and the Spanish Soccer Federation workplaces in Madrid as a part of a corruption and cash laundering investigation into the Tremendous Cup, amongst different offers.

Police detained seven folks, and Rubiales was recognized as considered one of 5 further people underneath investigation.

Rubiales resigned as federation president in September after inflicting worldwide controversy for kissing participant Jenny Hermoso with out her consent after Spain received the Ladies's World Cup in August. Hermoso is going through trial on sexual assault prices. He has denied any wrongdoing in that case.

Rubiales lower his keep overseas by three days. He initially informed the courtroom he was coming again on Saturday.

Throughout his time as president of Spanish soccer, Rubiales modified the format of the Spanish Tremendous Cup in 2020, making a four-team mini-tournament and shifting the competitors to Saudi Arabia as a part of a deal that The value was reportedly 40 million euros (then). $42 million per match for the federation.

Prosecutors started investigating that deal in 2022 after audio leaked relating to a million-dollar fee between Rubiales and then-Barcelona participant Gerard Pique.

Pique's sports activities leisure firm Kosmos was concerned within the cope with the federation and Saudi Arabia.

An organization official informed the Related Press information company that no Kosmos workers have been detained or positioned underneath investigation and no firm properties have been raided.

In a quick preview of a recorded interview with Spanish tv channel La Sexta, Rubiales refuted a sequence of false claims made by the Spanish media.

“I don't know what the decide has mentioned or what investigation the Civil Guard has performed,” he mentioned. “The cash in my checking account is the results of my work and my financial savings.”

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