FIFA representatives traveled to Madrid to meet with the Spanish government and the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) following a number of recent scandals within the federation.
FIFA General Secretary Matthias Grafström and FIFA Legal Director Emilio Silvero held talks with Spain's Superior Sports Council (CSD), the government agency responsible for sports policy in the country, with the aim of stabilizing the situation at RFEF. He is visiting Madrid on Thursday. . Spain's role in the 2030 World Cup, which it will co-host with Morocco and Portugal, is also expected to be discussed.
Both men are then scheduled to meet with RFEF on Friday.
The Athletic RFEF acting president Pedro Rocha will visit FIFA headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland, this week to reassure the world governing body about the changes the organization is making following recent scandals, according to reports on Friday.
Rocha and FIFA president Gianni Infantino previously met in London to discuss the federation's situation.
FIFA has written to the federation, asking for an explanation for its response to recent scandals. RFEF officials said the five questions centered on the raid on its headquarters this month as part of an investigation into corruption allegations, among other potential crimes. The raid took place hours before Mr. Rocha and his committee were scheduled to meet to formally announce the date for the presidential vote.
CSD also met with FIFA and expressed concerns about the current state of the federation. FIFA has offered to help the RFEF if it wants to intervene ahead of the 2030 World Cup, a council official said.
Last month, RFEF headquarters and the home of former president Luis Rubiales were raided as part of an investigation into corruption allegations during his five-year term.
Investigators have confirmed they are investigating potential crimes including corruption, money laundering and misuse of federation funds between 2018 and 2023, including the Supercopa de España (Spain's England This could include transactions involving the transfer of the Community Shield (equivalent to the Community Shield) to Saudi Arabia, as well as construction work in Saudi Arabia. Estadio de la Cartuja in Seville.
Rubiales was detained and interrogated shortly after arriving in Madrid on Wednesday morning as part of a corruption investigation.
Rubiales, who resigned as RFEF president in September after being suspended by FIFA for kissing Spain striker Jenni Hermoso after the Women's World Cup final in August, was returning from the Dominican Republic.
Guardia Civil sources said Mr Rubiales was informed that he was being indicted and a lawyer was called to be present during the interrogation. Rubiales exercised his right not to testify and was released. However, he is expected to be called to testify if an arrest warrant is issued by the investigating judge, the person said.
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A new crisis in Spanish football: An explanation of Rubiales' latest work and the RFEF raid
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