MADRID: FIFA and UEFA vice-president Ángel María Villar has been re-elected unopposed again as president of the Spanish football federation.

Villar will have been in office for 29 years in July during which time he successfully emerged from seven elections, opposed only twice.

Jorge Perez, the RFEFE’s former general secretary for the last 13 years, had planned to run against Villar but was ruled out as a candidate by an electoral commission. He has threatened to appeal to the national sports council.

Villar, who took 112 votes out of the 129 with 11 blank and six declared void, is one of the conservative ‘old guard’ on international football’s governing bodies.

The former Spain and Bilbao midfielder has survived a number of scandals.

He was fined CHF25,000 and cautioned by the FIFA ethics committee for a lack of co-operation with an investigation into the 2018-2022 World Cup bid process in which he led Portugal/Spain campaign.

Nevertheless Villar not only clung on to his vice-presidential status but was interim president of UEFA between the autumn of 2015 and September 2016 after Michel Platini’s suspension.

A further controversy concerned a €1.2m government grant which was used for development projects in the Caribbean in support of the doomed World Cup bid.

The cash was designated for four programs: €462,000 for a sports education project in in Libya and neighbouring countries; €254,000 for an administration training programme in Latin America; €287,000 for international technical development and €219,000 for a football school in Haiti.

The monies were refunded to the sports council after the federation failed to satisfy the CSD about its use.

Villar has also come under pressure over and allegations concerning the misuse of power over a lower divisions administrative controversy.

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