The former president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) Luis Rubiales was arrested by Spanish police upon his return to the country on Wednesday following corruption charges, reported The Telegraph.
Rubiales was returning from the Dominican Republic two days earlier than his planned return amid the investigations of holding the Spanish Super Cup in Saudi Arabia and was soon detained at the airport as soon as he stepped outside the plane.
As per Spanish press reports, Rubiales is being investigated by a court in Madrid over alleged misdeeds in business corruption, unfair administration, money laundering and membership of a criminal organisation.
The former RFEF president was in the Dominican Republic when the case broke out on March 20 after which police raided one of his properties in Granada and some offices of the Spanish Football Federation that kept the records of Super Cup and other deals as part of corruption and money laundering investigation.
In the latest investigations, The Special Prosecutor's Office against Corruption and EUROPOL is investigating the alleged illegal contracts that include the transfer of the Spanish Super Cup to Saudi Arabia which Rubiales signed with the former FC Barcelona defender Gerard Pique.
Earlier, Spanish prosecutors were seeking a two-and-a-half-year jail term for Rubiales over his unsolicited kiss with Spain’s Jennifer Hermoso after the Women’s FIFA World Cup 2023 final during the presentation ceremony.
The prosecutors also wanted Rubiales, who has already been charged with sexual assault, to pay a hefty 50,000 euros in compensation to Hermoso.
Remember, FIFA has also put a three-year ban on Rubiales over kissing Hermoso on the lips without her consent. The ex-Spanish FA president was called out by many top footballers and other top officials, including the Spanish government.
He first insisted that the kiss was consensual but after some days, he apologised for his actions but the football fraternity demanded his resignation, which he first denied but eventually ended up doing so in December 2023.