Rubiales tells Spanish court he will return from Caribbean, cooperate with corruption probe

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.

FILE - President of the Spanish Federation, Luis Rubiales, left, and Saudi General Sport Authority GSA chairman Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal carry the Spanish Super Cup during a press conference in Jiddah Saudi Arabia, Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2019. | Photo Credit: AP

Former Spanish football boss Luis Rubiales says he will return to Spain to face a judicial probe into the business deal to hold the Spanish Super Cup in Saudi Arabia, court officials said on Thursday.

Rubiales was in the Dominican Republic when police raided a property belonging to him in Granada and the offices of the Spanish Football Federation in Madrid on Wednesday in a corruption and money laundering investigation. Officers made seven arrests. Rubiales was identified as one of five additional individuals put under investigation.

A court official told  The Associated Press that Rubiales’ lawyer informed a Madrid-based court in the hours after the raids that he was willing to cooperate with authorities and had plans to fly home on April 6 and would come sooner if requested by a judge.

Rubiales’ lawyer included a copy of his plane ticket to fly back from the Dominican Republic. The court official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak publicly about the case.

A Spanish Civil Guard officer carries a box and bags after completing a search of the home of former Spanish Football Federation chief Luis Rubiales, in Granada, Spain, March 20, 2024. | Photo Credit: REUTERS

The court has not issued an arrest warrant for Rubiales or any other person of interest in the case.

The office of Spain’s state prosecutors said 11 premises were raided for documents on Wednesday.

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 $42 million) per tournament for the federation.

Prosecutors opened a probe of that deal in 2022 following leaked audio between Rubiales and then-Barcelona player Gerard Pique regarding millions of dollars in commissions. Pique’s sports entertainment company Kosmos was involved in the deal with the federation and Saudi Arabia.

A company official told the  AP that no employee of Kosmos has been detained or placed under investigation, and no property of the company has been raided.

Rubiales stepped down in September after causing an international scandal for kissing Spain player Jenni Hermoso without her consent at the Women’s World Cup final. He is facing a trial for allegedly sexually assaulting Hermoso. He has denied any wrongdoing.