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Villar (right) alongside former Fifa vice president Michel Platini. Ivan Sekretarev
Controversy

Suspended Spanish football president resigns as vice president of Fifa and Uefa amid corruption investigation

Angel Maria Villar had been head of the Spanish football federation for almost three decades before he was suspended following his arrest last Tuesday.

SPANISH FOOTBALL CHIEF Angel Maria Villar, in custody on corruption charges, has resigned as vice-president of both Fifa and Uefa.

The 67-year-old’s near three-decade tenure as head of the Spanish federation ended this week when he was suspended following his arrest on 18 July.

“Mr Villar has stood down from his post as senior vice-president at FIFA,” a spokesperson for world football’s ruling body said.

Uefa said his resignation, tendered “with immediate effect” on Wednesday, had been accepted by the organisation’s president Aleksander Ceferin.

Ceferin “thanked him for his many years of service to European football”.

“Following his resignation, Mr Villar will no longer have any official functions at our organisation.

FC Barcelona v Real Betis Balompie - La Liga - Camp Nou Villar pictured delivering the 2015/16 La Liga title to Lionel Messi. SIPA USA / PA Images SIPA USA / PA Images / PA Images

“In view of the on-going court proceedings in Spain, we have no further comments to make on this matter,” the statement concluded.

Villar was detained with his son as part of a fraud probe launched last year.

Also arrested in a series of early morning raids on federation headquarters and other sites last week were the Spanish federation’s financial vice-president Juan Padron and Ramon Hernandez Baussou, general secretary of the Tenerife federation.

They face charges including falsifying documents, misappropriation of funds, collusion and administrative breaches linked to skimming profits from international friendly games.

Villar is a former Spain and Athletic Bilbao midfielder. He had been head of the Spanish football federation for 29 years and has been replaced by Juan Luis Larrea, who has been named as interim president.

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