Crisis in Spanish football: after Rubiales and his “forced kiss”, his successor is indicted for money laundering and corruption

Pedro Rocha, un président de la Fédération par intérim dans la tourmente de la justice. EFE – Rodrigo Jimenez

Pedro Rocha, président par intérim de la RFEF, a été informé de sa mise en examen.

Luis Rubiales' successor at the head of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) since the forced kiss scandal was in turn indicted on Friday in a corruption case, Spanish justice announced.

Heard on Friday as a witness in this case, Pedro Rocha, interim president of the RFEF, was informed of his indictment by the judge who is investigating this case, the court said in a press release superior of justice of Madrid.

Rubiales gets on with business

This magistrate from the court of Majadahonda, a town on the outskirts of Madrid, has yet to precisely define the charges, added the instance.

Luis Rubiales, already prosecuted for the forced kiss on player Jenni Hermoso after La Roja's world title in August, was indicted last week in the same case for money laundering, commercial corruption, unfair administration and membership in a criminal organization.

The investigation concerns irregularities in contracts signed by the RFEF over the last five years, and gave rise to numerous searches in March at the Federation's headquarters and even in homes by Luis Rubiales.

The juicy contract with the Saudis

The lucrative contract concluded to relocate the Spanish Super Cup to Saudi Arabia is at the heart of the investigations. Since 2020, the Saudi kingdom has hosted the semi-finals and the final of this competition for some 40 million euros per year, following an agreement in which the former Kosmos company -FC Barcelona defender Gerard Piqué served as intermediary.

During the searches carried out at the end of March in this case, seven people were arrested, including several Federation officials, who were subsequently dismissed.

Before taking over as interim president of the Federation following the suspension of Rubiales by Fifa at the end of August, Pedro Rocha had been its vice-president since 2018. He is currently the only candidate in the elections at the presidency of the Federation which will be held on May 6.