Spanish federation denies charges of using funds for party

MADRID (AP) — The Spanish soccer federation has denied accusations by a former employee that federation funds went to pay for a party with “young ladies” and to hire a detective to investigate the head of Spain’s players’ union. The federation run by Luis Rubiales says it “firmly” denies the charges made to state prosecutors by the president’s own uncle and his former chief of staff, Juan Rubiales. Juan Rubiales was fired by the federation in July. The federation says the alleged party was “a work meeting” that included Juan Rubiales. It says the property where it was held was rented by each of its attendants, not with federation funds.