UEFA and FIFA Vice-President Angel Maria Villar Steps Down From Post With Immediate Effect
Suspended Spanish Football Federation president Angel Maria Villar has resigned from his posts as UEFA and FIFA vice-president.
As the BBC reports, both he and his son were arrested earlier this month as part of a corruption investigation. Villar denied the allegations, and was suspended by the Spanish football federation for one year.
UEFA said on Thursday: "Villar will no longer have any official functions at our organisation.
In view of the ongoing court proceedings in Spain, we have no further comments to make on this matter."
Villar joined the UEFA executive committee 25 years ago and was a major figure within the organisation in 2015-16 while the then president Michel Platini was suspended by FIFA.
Last week, Villar and his son were denied bail and were transferred from a police jail to a prison near Madrid after being questioned by a judge. Prosecutors believe that Villar used his power to funnel private and public funds into regional federations in exchange for votes to remain in power for eight consecutive terms.
He has also been accused of using his control of the television rights for Spain’s friendly matches to secure economic benefits for his son.
In 2015, he was fined by FIFA’s ethics committee for failing to cooperate with the investigation into the bidding race for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, having led Portugal and Spain’s joint bid for the 2018 tournament.
President of UEFA, Aleksander Ceferin, accepted Villar's resignation and thanked him for his years of service to European football.
The former Athletic Bilbao and Spain midfielder, had been in charge of the Spanish football federation for 29 years. Juan Luis Larrea has been named as interim president.