Montaje propio Blow to former RFEF president Ángel Villar and his son: under the threat of the defendant's bench
The former leader of Spanish soccer and his son Gorka are close to going to trial after their legal appeals were dismissed
One of the most influential men in Spanish soccer has made headlines again in recent days. This is Ángel María Villar (Bilbao, 1950), who is close to going to prison. The Prosecutor's Office has requested 15 and a half years in prison for the former president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation.
He is not the only one in the family who is involved in the case in which it is estimated that the RFEF was harmed. Gorka Villar (Bilbao, 1975) is also involved, for whom the Prosecutor's Office has requested seven years in prison. The second section of the Criminal Court has dismissed the appeals filed by Villar and his son against Judge Francisco de Jorge's decision.
In this, they were considered to be tried for alleged crimes of business corruption, disloyal administration, embezzlement, or forgery.
Ángel María Villar
Before starting his position as a leader, Villar had his time as a footballer. He took his first steps in professional soccer at CD Galdakao and CD Getxo. In 1971, he joined the club of his life, Athletic, where he played for eleven seasons.
He played as a midfielder and appeared in 362 official matches wearing the red-and-white jersey. With Athletic, he managed to win the Copa del Rey, then called the Generalísimo Cup, in 1973. He also came close to winning the UEFA Cup in 1977.
The Basque team lost the final due to the away goals rule. In 1981, he ended his career as a footballer. However, his career in the world of soccer did not keep him from his studies, as he graduated in law in 1979.
He was one of the founders of AFE (Spanish Footballers' Association) and in 1981 he was elected president of the Biscayan Football Federation. Seven years later, he had to leave the position to take over as president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation. He remained in the position for almost 30 years, until the end of 2017.
Under his leadership, the Spanish national soccer team experienced the best period in its history. "La Roja" achieved the treble with the European Championships in 2008 and 2012 and the 2010 World Cup.
Villar was the one who appointed Negreira as vice president of the Technical Committee of Referees. He is also the protagonist of the term "Villarato", a system of alleged refereeing favors for Barcelona.
He also held important positions in UEFA and FIFA. In 1992, he joined the UEFA Executive Committee, and from 2002, he was one of the vice presidents. In fact, in 2016, he even became acting president of that organization. He also held the vice presidency of FIFA.
Villar had to resign from his positions when in 2017, he went to prison for the Soule case. Villar, his son Gorka, and Juan Padrón, former vice president of the RFEF, went to prison. They were accused of benefiting financially from the coffers of the Royal Spanish Football Federation.
He was suspended as president of the organization and dismissed at the end of that year. He entered prison on July 20 and was released on August 1. However, recently the former president of the RFEF has stated that "he had a very hard time in prison", as he recounted on "Radioestadio".
However, he has always defended his innocence. "Since I haven't done anything, I don't have to be afraid", he explained on "El Cafelito" to Josep Pedrerol. Now, he may have to relive that very tough situation for him.
The Prosecutor's Office has requested 15 and a half years in prison for him, in addition to financial compensation to the RFEF. The amount they are claiming for the organization amounts to €3.8 million. This is a punishment because it is suspected that Villar took advantage of his power between 2007 and 2017 for personal gain.
Currently, he is dedicated to writing his memoirs so that when he passes away, his granddaughter can tell his story. He is also taking care of his family and friends. This is what the former president of the RFEF said in "Mis días en la cárcel".
Gorka Villar
Gorka Villar is a businessman and lawyer specialized in labor law and sports law. In 2010, he founded Sport Advisers SL, a company specializing in consulting and legal advice in the international sports field. This company was one of the main beneficiaries in the Soule case.
The judge in the case suspected that Gorka Villar, together with his father, imposed a series of national teams to face Spain in friendly matches. All with the aim of benefiting the company of the former RFEF president's son. Villar delegated to his son the choice of opponents and the negotiation of conditions, bypassing the federation's bodies.
Gorka Villar is believed to have received more than €360,000, while the RFEF is believed to have been harmed by almost €4 million just with the friendlies against South Korea and Chile. He worked for the South American Football Confederation (Conmebol), first as an advisor and, in 2014, as general director. He was accused by Eugenio Figueredo, former president of Conmebol, of extorting several Uruguayan clubs.
In addition, according to this, Gorka Villar is believed to have taken advantage of his father's position in FIFA to get his way. Ángel María Villar's son is also on the Prosecutor's Office list for imprisonment. For Gorka Villar, a sentence of 7 years has been requested.
In addition, the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor accuses Gorka Villar's company and has requested a fine of €1.65 million according to Cadena Ser. He was released from prison along with his father, after Ángel María Villar paid €300,000 and Gorka Villar paid €150,000. Since then, he has not been seen in the media spotlight, focusing on his company, of which he remains the administrator.
Ana Bollaín
The woman who suffered the imprisonment of her husband and son was Ana Bollaín. She married Villar in 1974, when he was still a footballer. She came into the media spotlight in 2016, receiving the nickname "the woman in pink," for wearing a dress of that color and being seen asleep in the box at the Copa del Rey final.
She has always kept a low profile. In addition, she has accompanied her husband for many years, despite not being a soccer fan. In recent years, she is the one who has kept Villar afloat, as he has been living off his wife's financial support.
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