FIFA representatives have 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 Secretary General Mattias Grafström and FIFA Legal Director Emilio Silvero are in Madrid on Thursday for a meeting with the Superior Sports Council of Spain (CSD), the government agency responsible for sports policy of the country, with the aim of stabilizing the situation at the RFEF. . Spain’s role in the 2030 World Cup, which the country is co-hosting alongside Morocco and Portugal, is also expected to be discussed.
The two men are then expected to meet the RFEF on Friday.
Athleticism reported on Friday that interim RFEF head Pedro Rocha would visit FIFA headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland, this week to reassure the world governing body about changes his organization is making in the wake of recent scandals .
Rocha and FIFA President Gianni Infantino have already met in London to discuss the federation’s situation.
FIFA has sent a letter to the federation asking for an explanation on how it is handling recent scandals. RFEF sources said these were five questions centered on the search of its headquarters this month as part of an investigation into allegations of corruption, among other potential crimes. The search took place hours before Rocha and his committee met to officially announce the date of the presidential vote.
The CSD also spoke with FIFA to express its concerns about the state of the federation. Board sources say he offered to help FIFA if it wanted to intervene in the RFEF ahead of the 2030 World Cup.
Last month, the RFEF headquarters and the home of its former president Luis Rubiales were raided as part of an investigation into allegations of corruption during his five years at the helm of the group.
Investigators confirmed they were looking into potential crimes including corruption, money laundering and the misuse of federation funds between 2018 and 2023, potentially including the deal that brought the Supercopa de España ( the Spanish equivalent of the English Community Shield) in Saudi Arabia and the construction work on the Cartuja Stadium in Seville.
Rubiales was arrested and questioned immediately after landing in Madrid on Wednesday morning, as part of the anti-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.
According to Guardia Civil sources, Rubiales was informed of his indictment and his lawyer was called so that he could be present during his interrogation. Rubiales invoked his right not to testify and was released. However, he should be called to testify when an arrest warrant against him is issued by an investigating judge, specify the same sources.
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