MADRID: Tensions continue to rise ahead of the Spanish federation elections with veteran president Angel Maria Villar facing a possible investigation by the Office of the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor over the controversial 2018 World Cup bid writes KEIR RADNEDGE.

In January the RFEF repaid to the National Sports Council (CSD) a sum of €1.2m plus €300,000 interest which had been granted for projects in Africa and the Caribbean to support the co-hosting bid with Portugal.

The federation was unable to provide acceptable accounts for the expenditure and was thus forced to hand the money back.

Now Miguel Galan, one of at least two challengers to long-time president Villar on May 22, has laid a criminal complaint on three charges of fraud over misuse of the money. The Office of the Special Prosecutor and CSD reportedly joined the action last month, according to Spanish media reports.

A report commissioned by the federation from PricewaterhouseCooper pointed a finger of responsibity at former RFEF secretary Jorge Perez, who is another of Villar’s rivals.

Villar, former Spain and Bilbao midfielder and current vice-president of both world and European governing bodies FIFA and UEFA, has denied all wrongdoing.

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