Former RFES chief Ángel María Villar may be in as much hot water as possible. As a result, he now faces a shocking 15 and a half years behind bars. Prosecutors have charged Villar with embezzlement, business corruption, misappropriation of public funds, and falsification of documents. These counts stem from the Soule case. This inadvertently led to Villar’s suspension from his post in 2017 after 29 years of service.
The Soule case has reverberated in the Spanish football landscape. It further alleges that Villar embezzled contracts for friendly matches featuring the Spanish national team and cheated the federation out of over $4.84 million. These contracts, set up between the years of 2007 and 2017, reportedly served as kickbacks for Villar and his son, Gorka Villar. As a part of that case, Gorka is charged with receiving a potential seven-year prison sentence.
Prosecutors allege that the contracts coincided with Spain’s rising prestige in international football, following triumphs in the 2008 and 2012 European Championships and the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
“Coinciding with the rise in prestige and consequently the cachet of (the national team), derived from its triumphs in the 2008 and 2012 European Championships and the 2010 FIFA World Cup.” – Prosecutors
Villar reportedly used his position to set up highly profitable games and agreements. This whole scheme pulled money out of the federation. These actions have raised concerns about the governance and financial management within one of the most prestigious football federations worldwide.
The ongoing legal saga surrounding Villar and his son has received a significant amount of media attention. That’s largely because Spanish football is high-profile, eh? The outcome of this case could have far-reaching implications for governance practices within sports organizations both in Spain and globally.
