Ex-RFEF President Luis Rubiales after arrest warrant is issued - 'I've never done anything wrong'

Former President of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) Luis Rubiales has defended his innocence after an arrest warrant was issued for him. Currently he is in the Dominican Republic, a country that does not have an extradiction policy with Spain, but he has claimed he is willing to return to Spain whenever necessary.

The Spanish football world was rocked on Wednesday after police raided the RFEF headquarters as well as several homes in connection with alleged suspicion of corruption and money laundering, due to ‘irregular contracts’ over the past five years. They also had warrants out to arrest 7 people, with 5 more under investigation – Rubiales was one of those seven.

“I’ve never done anything wrong,” Rubiales has reportedly told El Espanol, via Marca. He was due to return to Spain on the 6th of April, but is reportedly willing to head back to his native Spain whenever the authorities require or request him to do so. Rubiales assured he was surprised by the arrests, and his lawyer claimed that they had not received any communication from the authorities regarding an arrest.

Rubiales left his role late last year, after FIFA and the Spanish Government suspended him for three years, after he kissed Jenni Hermoso during the World Cup final celebrations last year. A legal investigation is ongoing into Rubiales, who has been accused of sexual assault.