BARCELONA, Spain (AP) – Spanish police said Wednesday they have detained and later released former soccer federation president Luis Rubiales, who returned home amid an ongoing corruption investigation.
Rubiales was arrested, according to multiple reports.
The Civil Guard said Rubiales was questioned by police at Madrid’s airport after being detained as he exited a plane returning from the Dominican Republic. He was released several hours later. The investigating judge is expected to summon him for further questioning in the coming days.
Rubiales had returned to Spain amid a judicial investigation into a business agreement to host the Spanish Super Cup in Saudi Arabia.
Rubiales was in the Dominican Republic two weeks ago when police raided his properties in Granada and the offices of the Spanish Football Federation in Madrid. Seven people were detained by police, and Mr. Rubiales was identified as one of five people who were further investigated.
The corruption and money laundering probe also looks into the Spanish Super Cup contract and the federation’s relationship with Seville’s La Cartuja stadium, which hosts the Copa del Rey final and some international matches. .
Rubiales resigned as president of the federation in September after sparking an international scandal for kissing Spain’s Jenni Hermoso without her consent during the Women’s World Cup final. He is on trial for allegedly sexually assaulting Hermoso. He denied any wrongdoing in the matter.
Mr. Rubiales shortened his stay abroad by three days. He initially told the court he would be back on Saturday.
During his time as president of Spanish soccer, Rubiales overhauled the format of the Spanish Super Cup in 2020, created a four-team mini-tournament, and signed a contract reportedly worth 40 million euros ($42 at the time). As part of this, the tournament was moved to Saudi Arabia. 1 million per federation tournament)
Prosecutors launched an investigation into the deal in 2022 after audio leaked between Rubiales and then-Barcelona player Gerard Pique about the multimillion-dollar fee. Pique’s sports entertainment company Cosmos was involved in the deal with the federation and Saudi Arabia. Company officials told The Associated Press that no Cosmos employees have been detained or investigated, and company property has not been searched.
In a short preview of a recorded interview with Spanish television station La Sexta, Rubiales denied a series of false claims made by Spanish media.
“We don’t know what the judge said or what the private security investigated,” he said. “The money in my bank account is the result of my work and savings.”
