Spanish Police conducted searches on Wednesday at the headquarters of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) on the outskirts of Madrid and an apartment owned by its former President Luis Rubiales, news outlets reported.
Seven individuals were reportedly arrested as part of a corruption investigation into a multimillion-euro deal to relocate the Spanish Super Cup to Saudi Arabia.
Spanish daily El Pais said that a total of 11 locations were searched, including the home of the federation’s ex-president in Granada in southern Spain.
Spain’s Guardia Civil said the Rubiales was not among the arrested individuals and was not present at the time as he was reportedly out of the country.
Authorities confirmed that Rubiales is one of five other individuals who are now under official investigation in connection with the case. The RFEF expressed “deep concern” over the searches at its headquarters but assured full cooperation, emphasizing it would engage in “absolute transparency” in a statement on its website.
Five people were arrested in Madrid and two in Granada in relation to the case, with no names or further details provided, according to Reuters.
The Spanish state prosecutors’ office stated that police and Europol investigators were searching for documents and anticipated a total of seven arrests and identification of five more individuals under investigation.
In 2020, Rubiales revamped the Spanish Super Cup format, turning it into a four-team mini-tournament held in Saudi Arabia under a deal reportedly valued at £34m (€40m) per tournament for the RFEF. The deal came under scrutiny two years later following leaked audio of a conversation between Rubiales and former Barcelona player Gerard Pique where they discussed receiving substantial commissions.
Rubiales resigned as head of the RFEF in September after a controversial kiss he planted on Spanish women’s football international star Jenni Hermoso without her consent during celebrations for the Women’s World Cup victory.
FIFA subsequently banned the 46-year-old from football for three years.