Soccer-Saudi deal in graft spotlight as Spanish federation and ex boss raided

Three Spanish Civil Guards and one Europol officer walk out of the soccer federation headquarters after searching for evidence in corruption probe, in Las Rozas, Spain March 20, 2024. REUTERS/Susana Vera

LAS ROZAS, Spain (Reuters) -Police searched the Spanish Soccer Federation's (RFEF) headquarters and an apartment belonging to its former President Luis Rubiales on Wednesday and arrested seven people in a corruption probe over a multimillion-euro deal to relocate the Spanish Super Cup to Saudi Arabia.

A Spanish court has been investigating since June 2022 whether Rubiales committed a crime of improper management when the RFEF agreed with former Barcelona player Gerard Pique's Kosmos firm to move the tournament, a judicial source said.