Charges Laid Against Former RFEF President Ángel María Villar in Major Corruption Case
Judge Francisco de Jorge has officially charged Ángel María Villar, the former president of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), with serious allegations including business corruption, embezzlement, and falsification of documents. This development relates to a significant investigation known as the Soule case, which has been ongoing since 2017. The judge's order alleges that Villar and his son, Gorka, managed to profit from the mismanagement of contracts between 2007 and 2017, ultimately causing a staggering loss of €45 million to the federation.
The charges indicate that over the years, Villar, in collusion with his son, orchestrated the arrangement of various friendly matches involving the Spanish national team. The goal reportedly was to benefit Gorka Villar through contracts obtained from rival teams who were played against Spain in these matches. Notably, despite having no formal employment with the RFEF, Gorka was instrumental in selecting the opponents and negotiating the financial conditions of the matches—a conflict of interest that the judge has highlighted.
According to the court, this questionable alliance was designed to enable Gorka to secure contracts worth at least €36.6 million from the federations that were favored in these arrangements, leading to direct financial damage of approximately €3.83 million to the RFEF. The case outlines how the mismanagement led to widespread ramifications within the football federation, undermining both its integrity and financial health.
In addition to Ángel María Villar and his son, the prosecution extends to other individuals, including former RFEF vice president Juan Padrón, totaling eight individuals facing various charges ranging from disloyal administration to embezzlement. The investigation has revealed a pattern of corrupt practices that threatens the structural integrity of the RFEF, notorious in the football community for its historical governance.
In the wake of these developments, the RFEF has seen political shifts as current Galician Federation president Rafael Louzán has emerged as a potential new leader amidst this controversy. Louzán swept the recent RFEF elections, yet his ascendancy does little to clarify the legal uncertainties that have pervaded the federation in recent years.
As this situation unfolds, the judicial proceedings promise to shed further light on the alleged corruption within one of Europe's major football institutions, revealing potentially broader implications for sports governance in Spain.
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