Ex-RFEF Head faces potential 15.5-year prison sentence

Luis Rubiales is not the only former head of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) facing legal battles. His predecessor, Angel Maria Villar, is facing a potential 15.5-year prison sentence for alleged corruption, fraud and misappropriation of funds.

Villar, who like Rubiales after him was a controversial president of the RFEF, is embroiled in the ‘Soule Case’, which has been investigating a number of contracts handed out by the Federation during his tenure. Over the course of a decade between 2007 and 2017, the public prosecutor has been conducting an investigation into the awarding of contracts to businesses arranging friendlies for the Spanish Football Federation.

His son, Gorka Villar, is also wrapped up in the case, as one of the intermediaries alleged to have benefitted from contracts. The Anti-Corruption department, following the conclusion of their investigation, have now recommended sentences for the eight suspects involved, including Villar senior and junior.

Angel Maria Villar is accused of corruption between businesses, fraud and misappropriation of funds to the tune of €4.5m, and a sentence of 15.5 years has been suggested. Meanwhile his son, who was one of the beneficiaries of said contracts, has been recommended a sentence of seven years, as per Marca. Ex-vice-president Juan Padron is also alleged to have been involved, and is facing a charge of six years.

Villar was in charge of Spanish football for a total of 29 years between 1988 and 2017, and has defended his innocence in a case that has been ongoing for several years. Villar recently defended the innocence of the referees too, when asked about the Negreira case that has seen the Vice-President of the Referees Committee Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira accused of corruption. That investigation is still ongoing, as authorities try to establish the destination of the €7-8m that Barcelona paid Negreira over a 17-year period until 2018.