In Madrid’s Majadahonda district, Judge Delia Rodrigo, who is overseeing inquiries tied to the so-called Supercopa Files involving the president of the Spanish Football Federation, requested details about a trip funded by agency money and linked to the federation. The investigation centers on whether the trip, allegedly to the United States, involved improper use of resources and whether official duties were properly observed.
Reports indicate that the president of the federation may have staged meetings with international bodies as a pretext to spend six days in the United States. An accompanying Mexican artist was said to be part of the entourage, with lodging covered by federation funds as part of a purported budget allocation for federation activities.
A decision disclosed on July 14 shows the judge seeking information about this trip, following a request from the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office, which has scrutinized Rubiales’ activities for more than a year. The Majadahonda Fourth Court of Appeals intends to gather concrete data on the travel details, while the federation previously argued it was a business trip and issued a statement from a person described as coordinating numerous professional engagements on Rubiales’ behalf.
However, the references in that statement to dates that do not align with Rubiales’ travel to New York bring scrutiny back to the trip. Román Ignacio Rodríguez Fernández appears in federation documents as a councilor corroborating the ongoing investigations, and he is noted to have attended a December 16, 2019 meeting on behalf of the federation, representing the RSD Alcalá club with which Rodríguez is associated.
One event, the Complutense club meeting on May 30, 2022, drew 83 federation members, during which Rubiales’ compensation package—675,761.87 euros annually—and a mortgage allowance of 3,000 euros were approved. The judge and prosecutor have asked Rodríguez to provide dates and supporting documents for the New York trip to clarify the record.
Taken together with other allegations, the reports suggest Rubiales traveled to New York to tour Manhattan with the Mexican artist. Legal sources warn that the facts could constitute a crime of improper administration, potentially carrying a sentence of up to three years in prison if proven.
According to the same reports, the revenue for flights, hotel, and a rental car was charged to federation funds and described as expenses tied to the use of his office. The materials indicate that, at one point, those close to the case noted a tactic for responding to questions about the trip: the narrative would begin with the federation noting that meetings with MLS and then the United Nations were involved, followed by arrangements to dine with these groups. The sequence would be suggested as the reason for travel and meetings, though sources familiar with the room say none of the meetings occurred as described.
What emerges from the accounts is a potential disconnect between the claimed business purpose and actual events on the ground. The closest documented encounter appears to have been a scheduling note with a New York company involved in sports event management, which ultimately did not take place when Rubiales canceled the meeting just before its scheduled time. This company later became known for negotiating Spanish football contracts with league leadership, linking the case to broader questions about governance and influence within the federation.
The investigation has been ongoing for more than a year, with judges and prosecutors working through procedural steps to determine the scope of the inquiry, including the extension of the investigation by several months. In addition to requested procedures, there remain outstanding letters and the need to obtain additional documents from Andorra and other locations as the case progresses toward clarification and resolution.