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Rubiales to testify on April 29th over Spain football graft scandal

A Spanish judge on Tuesday summoned disgraced ex-football chief Luis Rubiales to testify on April 29th over an alleged graft scandal at the national federation (RFEF) when he was president, court documents showed.

Rubiales to testify on April 29th over Spain football graft scandal
Former president of the Spanish football federation Luis Rubiales leaves the Audiencia Nacional court in Madrid. Photo: Thomas COEX/AFP.

The 46-year-old returned to Spain from the Dominican Republic on April 3 and was briefly detained at the airport as part of a probe into federation contracts signed since 2018, including one signed by Rubiales to take the Spanish Super Cup to Saudi Arabia.

“On Monday 29 April at 10:00 am (0800 GMT), the court has summoned Luis Rubiales to testify as a person under investigation,” the Madrid court said in a statement.

Rubiales’ return to Spain came two weeks after investigators searched 11 locations, including the RFEF’s Madrid headquarters and his house in the southern city of Granada, as part of a probe into alleged corruption and other crimes.

The March 20 raids were part of “an investigation linked to presumed crimes linked with corruption in business, fraudulent administration and money laundering”, judicial sources said.

The Super Cup contracts are worth €40 million a year ($43.3 million) with the deal brokered by Kosmos, a company owned by former Barcelona and Spain defender Gerard Pique.

During the raids, police arrested the RFEF’s legal director Pedro Gonzalez Segura and its head of human resources Jose Javier Jimenez as well as the federation’s external legal adviser Tomas Gonzalez Cueto.

A day later, the RFEF sacked both men and ended its contract with GC Legal, Gonzalez Cueto’s firm.

‘Never taken a bribe’

Rubiales was forced to step down as RFEF boss last September after forcibly kissing Women’s World Cup star Jenni Hermoso following Spain’s triumph in the Sydney final in August.

READ ALSO: Death of the Iberian macho: What the Rubiales kiss uproar says about Spain

He is to go on trial over the non-consensual kiss which under Spanish law can be classed as sexual assault.

In 2022, prosecutors opened an investigation into the Super Cup deal after audio recordings in which Rubiales and Pique spoke of multi-million value commissions were leaked.

Rubiales has always defended the legality of the deal to take the Super Cup to the oil-rich Gulf state, and in April 2022, Pique insisted that everything was “legal”, saying he was “proud” of the deal.

In a TV interview last week, Rubiales denied any wrongdoing, saying he had “never taken a bribe” in his life nor “rigged a contract” saying the decision to take the Spanish Super Cup to Saudi Arabia was done because it was “the best offer”.

The Spanish Super Cup took place for the first time in Saudi Arabia in 2020.

It returned to Spain for a year during the Covid-19 pandemic but the subsequent three competitions have taken place in Saudi.

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Atlético Madrid hit with partial stadium closure after racist abuse

Atlético Madrid must partially close their stadium for two La Liga matches after Athletic Bilbao winger Nico Williams suffered racial abuse there, the Spanish football federation said.

Atlético Madrid hit with partial stadium closure after racist abuse

The Spain international heard monkey chants directed at him in the first half of his team’s 3-1 defeat at Atlético’s Metropolitano stadium in Spain’s top flight on Saturday.

“(Atlético have been issued) a sanction of partial closure of their sports venue for a period of two matches and a financial penalty of €20,000 ($21,350),” said the federation’s competition committee in a statement.

READ ALSO: World Cup winner Del Bosque to watch over Spain’s scandal-hit federation

One area of Atlético’s stadium will be shut for the upcoming league matches against Celta Vigo and Osasuna, as they strive for a top four finish.

“I went to take the corner and I heard monkey noises,” said Williams after Saturday’s game.

“There weren’t many of them. There are stupid people everywhere… I hope this changes bit by bit.”

Williams scored after the abuse and celebrated by pointing to his arm in reference to his skin colour.

“(The celebration) was with a bit of anger, it’s not normal to be insulted for the colour of your skin,” he added.

Spanish football has suffered a spate of racist incidents in recent years, many of which have been aimed at Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior.

The Brazil international earned global support after facing off with a fan who was abusing him last year at Valencia’s Mestalla stadium, which also faced subsequent partial closure.

READ ALSO: EXPLAINED: The racism problem that has blighted Spanish football

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