Spanish FA President, Ángel María Villar, is arrested in Fraud Inquiry
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Ángel María Villar, the president of the Spanish football federation and FIFA vice president, has been arrested along with his son as part of a fraud investigation into de finances of the national team.
Three other football officials where also detained during the raids carried by the Spanish police in the headquarters of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF). Police said in a statement that the five men were arrested on charges of corruption and they are accused of fraud, embezzlement and falsification of documents.
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The Spain’s National Court is investigating if Mr. Villar could have promoted international friendlies matches, obtaining this way advantages for contracting services and other commercial relations for the benefit of his son.
After the detentions, UEFA said in a statement that “is aware of the reports regarding Mr. Villar. We have no comment to make at this time.” Spain’s minister of education, culture and sport, Íñigo Méndez de Vigo, declared after de raids that “in Spain the laws are same for all, and nobody is above the law”.
Mr. Villar, 67, has been during the last thirty years the most relevant figure of Spanish football. He was re-elected last May as chairman of the RFEF without opposition.
The influence of Mr. Villar also overpasses the Spanish borders. He is vice president of FIFA and last year he was the interim President of UEFA until the appointment of Gianni Infantino.
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During the last three years, Mr. Villar has denied any type of relationship with the many cases of corruption that have affected Spanish football. His opponents have accused him on many occasions of building a system of clientelism in the RFEF.
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