April 3 – Luis Rubiales, the disgraced former president of the Spanish football federation (RFEF), has been arrested as part of a corruption investigation.
He was detained on his arrival in Madrid from the Dominican Republic.
The case is separate to the ‘Kissgate’ scandal for which Spanish prosecutors are seeking a prison term of two years and six months for Rubiales.
It is part of an ongoing corruption probe linked to his time as head of the RFEF and focuses on business deals thought to include holding Spanish Super Cup in Saudi Arabia.
Rubiales’ home in the southern Spanish city of Granada was one of several properties searched on March 20, along with the headquarters of the Spanish FA, but he was already abroad. Seven people were detained by police and Rubiales was identified as one of five additional individuals under investigation.
Spanish police investigators reportedly flew to the Caribbean and confiscated his phone and laptop during a reported search of another property where he had been staying.
Spanish daily El Mundo said police investigators have concluded Rubiales diverted at least €3.8 million from the Spanish FA to a construction firm that paid him kickbacks.
Rubiales had planned to return to Spain on Saturday but apparently decided to bring this forward, describing the investigation into his business dealings as “lies”.
“The information in the media about the money I had in my accounts is mistaken. The money is the product of my work and my savings,” he was quoted as saying.
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