Luis Rubiales will reportedly return to Spain on Wednesday despite the risk of arrest as part of a police investigation into corruption in the Spanish Football Federation.
Authorities are studying a multimillion-dollar deal to move the Spanish Super Cup to Saudi Arabia and last month they raided the headquarters of the Spanish Football Federation and an apartment of former president Rubiales.
Since June 2022, it has been investigated whether Rubiales committed a crime of improper management when the Spanish Football Federation agreed with the Kosmos firm of former Barcelona player Gerard Piqué to move the tournament.
Brand reported that Rubiales was seen at the airport in the Dominican Republic, where he has lived for two months, waiting for a flight to Spain. Rubiales could be arrested when he lands, they said.
Then, at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, the outlet reported that Rubiales’ flight from the Dominican Republic had landed in Madrid.
Former Spanish Football Federation president Luis Rubiales will reportedly return to Spain on Wednesday, where he could be arrested as part of a corruption investigation.
A Spanish court investigates Rubiales (left) for the 2019 decision to move the Spanish Super Cup to Saudi Arabia
Police raided former FA president Rubiales’ apartment last month
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It comes as prosecutors push for Rubiales to be jailed for two and a half years after kissing Spanish soccer player Jenni Hermoso against her will following her Women’s World Cup triumph last August.
Rubiales, 46, faces charges of sexual assault and coercion after he grabbed Hermosa and kissed her on the mouth during the trophy presentation following Spain’s victory over England.
Rubiales resigned from his position as president of the Spanish Football Federation, but has denied any wrongdoing.
He broke his silence on the matter in an interview in the Dominican Republic with the Spanish channel La Sexta, in which he said: ‘I think the way Jenni qualified my words was manipulative.’
He has also denied any wrongdoing in the corruption case.
Rubiales infuriates Spanish soccer traditionalists by expanding the annual Super Cup match between LaLiga champions and Copa del Rey winners to a four-team format, moving it from August to January and moving it outside of Spain.
The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) agreed in 2019 to a three-year deal worth €120 million ($131 million) with the Saudi sports authority to host the tournament there.
The RFEF base in Madrid and Rubiales’ apartment in Granada were searched at the end of March as part of the investigation led by judge Delia Rodrigo DÃaz.
Rubiales kissed Hermoso on the lips without his consent after Spain’s success in the World Cup
The Spanish prosecutor’s office is pressing for Rubiales to receive a sentence of two and a half years in prison for ‘Kissgate’
The national prosecutor’s office said the investigation looked into business corruption, improper asset management and money laundering.
Police carried out a total of 11 searches at unspecified locations across Spain related to the case, and prosecutors said at the time they expected to arrest seven people.
While the Civil Guard and undercover agents searched the football federation offices, the Spanish team trained on the adjacent field.
Rubiales was not home when agents searched his apartment and Marca said he had been in the Caribbean for two months.
Spanish international footballer Hermoso photographed arriving at Madrid court in January
Last week, prosecutors in the ‘Kissgate’ case said they were seeking a one-year prison sentence for sexual assault and a separate one-year and six-month prison sentence for coercion linked to his alleged attempts to get Hermoso to speak at his defending. .
They also want him to pay Hermoso €100,000 (£85,000) in compensation if he is found guilty at trial.
Madrid-based Judge Francisco de Jorge cleared the way for Rubiales to stand trial earlier this year after recommending that he be taken to the stand.
He said his lengthy investigation had uncovered “strong evidence” pointing to the possible illegality of the kiss.