The judge has imposed precautionary measures on Luis Rubiales, after his appearance in court this morning. He must appear in court once a month and has the obligation to ask the court for permission if he makes a trip abroad, as well as notify the duration and stay of the trip. Even so, he does not take away his passport, although he conditions his departure.
The former president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) Luis Rubiales has defended the contract signed with Saudi Arabia to hold the Super Cup there. As he explained in his statement as investigated, that contract was made for the good of football at a delicate time for this sport due to the pandemic. According to him he told the judge, thanks to that contract “football was saved.”
According to sources present at the interrogation, Rubiales has defended the legality of the contract and has disassociated himself from the agreement between the Saudi company Sela and Kosmos, of former player Gerard Piqué, for which a commission of three million euros per edition was agreed, unrelated to the federation. Rubiales has explained that it was the former Barça player who contacted the Saudi company and maintains that that business had the approval of both the ethics committee and the compliance department of the federation. In this way, he has denied that there was a “collusion” with Piqué to make money in this business.
Rubiales has denied all accusations of unfair administration and corruption in business and has stated that during his presidency no commissions have been paid or collected in exchange for contracts. As he has already done in some public intervention, Rubiales has defended before the head of the Court of Instruction number 4 of Majadahonda (Madrid) his management, the increase in profits of the RFEF and even having achieved the allocation of the World Cup. soccer.
Rubiales is the main person investigated in the so-called ‘Operation Brody’ for the irregular contracts of the federation during his presence and the alleged favorable treatment of companies run by people related to him. In the case, in addition to businessmen close to Rubiales being investigated, such as the case of Francisco Javier Martín Alcaide, directors of the federation are also being investigated. The last defendant was Pedro Rocha, proclaimed president of the RFEF, replacing Rubiales and despite his alleged involvement in the case.
The judge in the case had summoned Rubiales for today after he was arrested on April 3 upon his arrival in Spain from the Dominican Republic where he had begun doing business after his departure from the RFEF following the global scandal over the kiss. He spoiled the player Jenni Hermoso during the World Cup final in Sydney on Asado Verano.