Spanish police raided the headquarters of the Spanish Football federation (RFEF) and other locations as part of an investigation into alleged corruption and other crimes, judicial sources said on Wednesday. AFP reported. The Central Operational Unit of the Guardia Civil, assisted by EUROPOL, entered the RFEF headquarters in Las Rozas (Madrid) on Wednesday to carry out the investigation. 

The investigation focuses on contracts signed by former president Luis Rubiales between 2018 and 2023, some of them with the Kosmos company led by former Spain international and FC Barcelona player Gerard Piqué.

According to the Spanish newspaper OK Diario, seven people have been arrested. The raids and arrests have spread to other parts of Spain. All this comes in the middle of an election process to choose a new president for the organisation. The alleged crimes being investigated include corruption, breach of trust and money laundering. Everything is still under a veil of judicial secrecy. According to OK Diario, seven people have been arrested and five are under investigation.

The contracts to move the Super Cup to Saudi Arabia are worth 40 million euros ($43.3 million) a year. They were signed with the Kosmos company, with former footballer Gerard Piqué acting as an intermediary.

The police acted as part of an investigation into "alleged crimes related to corporate corruption, fraudulent administration and money laundering", judicial sources said, according to AFP. The sources said 11 houses had been searched. 

The same Spanish media said no arrests had been made at the federation's headquarters. The Spanish national team is currently based there ahead of friendlies against Colombia in England on Friday and Brazil in Madrid next Tuesday. 

The Majadahonda court in Madrid ordered the investigations and searches, one of which took place at the home of Luis Rubiales in the Dominican Republic. Searches were also carried out in Granada and La Cartuja in Seville. There, the Guardia Civil entered the Sevilla stadium in search of information to clarify the relationship between the RFEF and the company that manages the stadium.

The Spanish Super Cup will be held in Saudi Arabia for the first time in 2020. Following the return of the next edition to Spain due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the next three tournaments will be held in Saudi Arabia.