Spanish police arrest former football chief Luis Rubiales amid corruption inquiry

As part of an ongoing investigation into corruption, Luis Rubiales, the former chief of the Royal Spanish Football Federation, was held by police upon his return to Spain, according to the Civil Guard.  

Rubiales was questioned by police at Madrid's airport, according to the national police force. Rubiales was arrested on Wednesday after boarding a flight that returned him home from the Dominican Republic. Later on her was released. 

Rubiales went back to Spain as a legal investigation into a potential economic arrangement to host the Spanish Super Cup in Saudi Arabia was ongoing.  

Rubiales was in the Dominican Republic two weeks ago when police raided a property belonging to him in Granada and the offices of the Spanish Football Federation in Madrid as part of a corruption and money laundering investigation that included the Super Cup among other deals. 

Seven people were detained by police, and Rubiales was identified as one of five additional individuals under investigation. 

Rubiales stepped down as president of the federation in September after causing an international scandal for kissing player Jenni Hermoso without her consent after Spain won the Women’s World Cup in August. He is facing trial on a charge of sexually assaulting Hermoso. He has denied any wrongdoing in that case. 

Rubiales cut short his stay abroad by three days. He had originally told the court that he was coming back on Saturday. 

During his time as president of Spanish football, Rubiales overhauled the format of the Spanish Super Cup in 2020, creating a four-team mini-tournament and moving the competition to Saudi Arabia as part of a deal that was reportedly worth 40 million euros (then $42m) per tournament for the federation. 

After audio between Rubiales and then-Barcelona star Gerard Pique regarding millions of dollars in commissions was leaked, prosecutors launched an investigation into that arrangement in 2022.  

Kosmos, Pique's sports entertainment company, was involved in the agreement with Saudi Arabia and the federation. 

No Kosmos employee has been jailed or put under investigation, and no corporate property has been raided, a company official told The Associated Press news agency. 

During a small excerpt from a videotaped interview with La Sexta, a Spanish television channel, Rubiales refuted several allegations made by the Spanish media that he considered to be incorrect.  

He remarked, "I don't know what the Civil Guard has looked into or what the judge has said." "The funds in my bank account are a consequence of my work and my savings.”