Rubiales set to return from Caribbean amid corruption probe،
Former Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) president Luis Rubiales plans to return to Spain next month to be questioned as part of the corruption investigation into the deal to transfer the Spanish Super Cup to Saudi Arabia.
Rubiales was in the Dominican Republic on Wednesday when police searched his apartment in Granada, as well as the RFEF headquarters in Madrid.
Six people were arrested during the process, and four were later released, while Rubiales was one of several others under investigation, a court official confirmed to ESPN.
The official said no arrest warrant had been issued for him, despite conflicting reports, and there was no demand for him to immediately return to Spain.
EFE later reported that he planned to return on April 6 with his family and was willing to cooperate with authorities, even if it meant returning early.
Rubiales resigned as RFEF president last year after non-consensually kissing midfielder Jenni Hermoso after Spain beat England in the Women's World Cup final in Australia.
FIFA has since banned him from all football-related activity for three years, while a Spanish judge recommended that the case be tried on sexual assault and coercion charges after taking testimony from Rubiales and Hermoso, among others.
However, this week's events focus on the 2019 deal to transport the Super Cup to the Middle East, brokered by Kosmos, the company of former Barcelona defender Gerard Piqué.
The RFEF concluded an initial three-year deal, which has since been extended, worth 120 million euros ($131 million) with Saudi sports authorities to stage the competition in Saudi Arabia.
The move angered Spanish football traditionalists by expanding the competition between the league champions and Copa del Rey winners to a four-team format, moving the event from August to January and organizing outside Spain.
As an active player at the time, Piqué's involvement and a possible conflict of interest were also questioned, although the former Spain international and Rubiales insisted everything was above reproach.
However, since June 2022 – following leaked audio of messages between Pique and Rubiales detailing the commission involved – a Spanish court has been investigating whether an offense of mismanagement was committed by Rubiales when the RFEF agreed to move the competition.
This week, a judge issued an arrest warrant for 11 premises to search documents on Wednesday, including Rubiales' property in Granada and the RFEF base in Madrid.
A company official told the AP that no Kosmos employees were arrested or investigated and that no company property was among those searched.
Information from Reuters and AP was used in this report.
