Disgraced former Spanish FA president Luis Rubiales was met off a plane by Spanish investigators and transferred to a police van as they look into a £100m corruption probe.
Rubiales, 46, was apprehended after stepping off a plane in Madrid on Tuesday morning as investigations continue into a deal to relocate the Spanish Super Cup tournament to Saudi Arabia.
A black van belonging to the Central Operative Unit (UCO) was waiting for him on the runway after he stepped off a commercial flight from Dominican Republic, according to media at the scene.
It was initially unclear where Rubiales was being taken but Spanish outlets said he was taken for questioning elsewhere in the airport. He was not formally arrested and, La Sexta reported, he was released without being formally charged in the presence of his lawyer.
The Spanish FA (RFEF) agreed a $131m (£104m) deal with Saudi Arabia in 2019 to move the tournament to the desert. It was expanded from a final between the winners of La Liga and the Copa del Rey to a four-team tournament and was moved from its pre-season August slot to being held mid-season in January.
Mirror Football's Premier League team of 2022 as champions dominate
Rubiales’ apartment in Granada was raided last month along with the Spanish federation’s headquarters and a number of other locations across Spain as police continue looking into the financial agreement.
He has been living in Dominican Republic for the past two months but was seen boarding a plane to Madrid Barajas airport on Tuesday. Spanish media, gathered at the airport in their droves, reported that Rubiales stepped off the plane at approximately 10:30am local time.
Rubiales resigned last year after kissing Jenni Hermoso against her will. (AFP via Getty Images)Rubiales is facing separate charges of sexual assault and coercion after he grabbed Spain star Jenni Hermoso and kissed her on the mouth against her will during the trophy presentation after their World Cup win over England last year.
Prosecutors want Rubiales to be jailed for two-and-a-half years and a Madrid judge recently paved the way for a trial to be held later this year.
He resigned after the incident and was widely condemned. He has also been banned for three years by FIFA.
and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
