Spanish FA vice-president arrested after disappearance of $51m

The financial vice president of Spain's football federation was arrested on Tuesday when police raided the ruling body's regional offices in Catalonia as part of an investigation into the alleged disappearance of an estimated 45 million euros ($51 million).

Andreu Subies, who was hand-picked to run the financial department of the sport's body by the federation's current president, Luis Rubiales, was one of two persons arrested, the sources told Efe.

Members of Spain's Civil Guard branch of the police force were searching the headquarters of the Catalan Football Federation as part of an investigation into the alleged looting of funds by previous directors.

Subies had been president of the Catalan branch of the federation before taking up his current post in May.

Rubiales took over running Spanish soccer's ruling body after the arrest of its previous president, Ángel María Villar, on suspicion of having been behind the disappearance of the funds.

One of Rubiales' first decisions as head of Spain's federation was to fire then-head coach Julen Lopetegui in the build up to the 2018 FIFA World Cup after discovering that there had been ongoing negotiations to also take over the post of Real Madrid coach from Zinedine Zidane.

Real Madrid fired Lopetegui late Monday after a run of bad results.

Villar, whose arrest took place in July 2017, was released on charges 10 days after posting bail of 300,000 euros ($350,000).