Spanish football chief arrested on corruption charges

By Alyssa McMurtry

MADRID (AA) - Police arrested five executives of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), including the organization’s president, Angel Maria Villar Llona, in raids on Tuesday.

According to a statement from Spanish police, the men are accused of improper management, misappropriation of funds, document falsification and corruption, among other crimes.

Villar Llona’s son, Gorka Villar, was also arrested in Tuesday’s raids, along with three other high-up executives.

A former player, Villar Llona, is also a vice-president of the UEFA Executive Committee and the FIFA Council.

“We are here to comply with and make sure others comply with the rules and laws in the area of sports as well,” Jose Ramon Lete, president of Spain’s national sports council, told the media on Tuesday, while recognizing that the case “isn’t good for the image of Spanish sports”.

These arrests signal another scandal for Spanish football, with some of the most famous names in the sport tied to tax evasion in Spain, including Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Jose Mourinho.