Spain’s former football president, Angel Maria Villar, who was ousted in 2017, now faces severe charges of corruption and embezzlement.
It is alleged that Villar orchestrated contracts between 2007 and 2017, resulting in a loss of over $4.84 million to the federation.
Eight individuals, including Villar’s son Gorka, who could face a seven-year prison term, and ex-vice president Juan Padron of the Spanish football federation (RFEF), are implicated in the case.
Willar was suspended as president in 2017 following accusations connected to the now-infamous Soule case after leading the federation for 29 years.
In the indictment, Villar is accused of embezzlement, business corruption, the misappropriation of funds, and document falsification.
Prosecutors allege that Villar personally benefited from and enriched his son by setting up friendly matches involving the Spanish national team and created contracts around these events.
Prosecutors argue that Villar selected specific opponents for Spain to take advantage of, “aligning with the enhanced reputation and market value of the national team, derived from its victories at the 2008 and 2012 European Championships and the 2010 FIFA World Cup”.
The matches under suspicion were friendly games against South Korea, Chile, Venezuela, Peru, and Colombia.
Villar was succeeded by Luis Rubiales, who stepped down in 2023 following his controversial act of forcible kissing a Women’s World Cup player, Jenni Hermoso, amid a troubled period for the federation.
Pedro Rocha briefly took his place but was suspended for overstepping his authority, before Rafael Louzan was elected as the new RFEF president in December 2024.
