Prosecutors seek 15-year prison sentence for former Spanish soccer president Villar

By Canadian Press on March 27, 2025.

MADRID (AP) — Prosecutors in Spain are seeking a sentence of more than 15 years in prison on corruption charges for former Spanish soccer president Ángel María Villar.

Prosecutors said on Thursday they want Villar to go on trial for alleged irregularities on federation contracts signed when he was in charge. Prosecutors also want seven other people charged.

Villar was head of the federation from 1988 until 2017, when he was fired by Spain’s administrative court for sport. He had already been suspended from the post after he, his son, and other officials were detained on suspicion of improper management, misappropriation of funds, corruption, and falsifying documents.

Villar, who has denied wrongdoing, resigned his vice presidencies of FIFA and UEFA following his detention.

He was replaced at the Spanish federation in 2018 by Luis Rubiales, who resigned in 2023 after his unsolicited kiss on player Jenni Hermoso during the awards ceremony following the Women’s World Cup final won by Spain.

Last month, Rubiales was found guilty of sexual assault because of the kiss that sparked one of the worst crises in Spanish soccer.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

The Associated Press

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