Luis Rubiales has been accused of squandering the RFEF’s funds by his uncle.
The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) has strongly denied claims that its president Luis Rubiales used RFEF money to host orgies.
Spanish newspaper El Mundo reported that Rubiales is accused of holding private parties in a chalet in the Granada region to which “eight to ten young girls” were invited.
These parties were allegedly expensed as a work event, with the closest members of Rubiales’ team present, and it is claimed that the RFEF president’s former chief of staff Juan Rubiales, who is Luis Rubiales’ uncle but was fired from his RFEF role in 2020, made the claims to the Prosecutor’s Office last April.
El Mundo’s report contains further accusations from Juan Rubiales made to Spain’s anti-corruption department, such as Luis Rubiales allegedly telling him that he needed to “find a way of getting money out of the Federation” and using his influence to hire private investigators to track the head of the Spanish Players’ Association, David Aganzo.
On Thursday, however, the RFEF released a statement defending Rubiales in which it “categorically” denied the accusations which it says were made by an ex-employee “motivated by spite.”
“The full intervention of Juan Rubiales that is reported today by the newspaper El Mundo is once again a new exercise in falsehoods and manipulation by a former federative employee motivated by spite, as well as by his demonstrated alliances and recognized by those who seek a constant deterioration of the image of the president of the RFEF,” the statement ran.
“El Mundo focuses the story on a new maneuver by Juan Rubiales, who once again accuses RFEF employees of irregular and inappropriate behavior at a work meeting with other department directors at which he was present.
“The former chief of staff refers to a coexistence of planning and organization of federative executives in the town of Salobrena (in Granada) in which the accommodation was entirely paid by each attendee, including Juan Rubiales. Neither the employees nor the RFEF incurred in any irregularity.”
The federation said that despite the seriousness of the claims, Juan Rubiales has not provided a “single piece of evidence either in the Prosecutor’s Office or in court to support his accusations,” adding that his moves were “one more step in the infamous campaign” that Luis Rubiales “has been suffering in recent months.”
As implied, the drama is just the latest to engulf Rubiales after the same outlet obtained leaked 2019 audio messages this year where Rubiales was heard discussing the financial ins-and-outs of taking the Supercopa to Saudi Arabia with FC Barcelona defender Gerard Pique.
While Pique has denied any wrongdoing, Rubiales has also maintained that he acted in a legal manner while expressing disgust at his phone being hacked.
Made round to go round