By Andrew Warshaw
July 15 – Controversial FIFA vice-president Angel Maria Villar (pictured) is poised to stand for a remarkable eighth term of office as head of Spanish football despite being widely reported as being under investigation by FIFA. If re-elected the new term would take him through 30 years as the head of the Spanish federation.
Villar has repeatedly clashed at home over the issue of TV rights with Spanish league president Javier Tebas who has described him as being “stuck in medieval times” but that has apparently not fazed the federation supremo.
It is several months now since the man who led the joint Spanish-Portuguese doomed bid for the 2108 World Cup was reported as being one of one of five individuals facing formal disciplinary action as a result of Michael Garcia’s infamous probe. Yet at home and within European circles he seemingly remains untouchable, having recently been named first vice president of UEFA, making him the second highest authority in European football’s governing body behind president Michel Platini.
Villar became president of the Spanish federation in 1988 and was re-elected in 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008 and 2012. Regarded by many as old school, his intention to carry on hardly mirrors the growing campaign for term limits for senior officials, one of the reform measures FIFA is expected to endorse in the post-Sepp Blatter era.
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