Former Spanish FA chief Villar gives verdict on Negreira case and 2030 World Cup final

Former Spanish Football Federation president Angel Maria Villar has discussed the Negreira case and the contest between Spain and Morocco to host the 2030 World Cup final.

Villar was speaking on the opening day of the World Football Summit, currently being held in Madrid. In comments reported by AS, he reflected on a 60-year career in football.

“I have spent 60 of my 76 years in football,” he said. “I was a player for 20 years, from youth football through to the professional game, and I worked as an administrator for 40 years, beginning with the Biscay Football Federation.

“I have experienced difficult times, happiness and sadness. I ask myself what football gave me and what it took away from me.”

Villar said the game had provided him with “values, financial stability, fame, a World Cup title and two European titles”, but had also cost him time with his family and relationships with friends.

“It took away enjoyment. It took away time,” he added.

Asked about his greatest achievement during his time at the Spanish Football Federation, Villar pointed to the construction of the national team’s football city.

“When I was called up by the national team, there was a problem,” he said. “We trained on external pitches that we rented, and I realised then that we needed to build a football city, financed by both the public and private sectors.

“Part of the success of the youth teams and the senior national team is down to the football city.”

Villar identified his relationship with the media as his biggest mistake.

“I made the mistake of not having a smooth relationship with the media,” he said. “What I got wrong was not having a normal relationship. I was one of the people most reluctant to speak.”

On the Negreira case, Villar said former referee Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira had been a member of the refereeing committee, but that the federation had not known he was dealing with clubs.

“If we had known, we would have told him that he could not work with clubs,” Villar said. “At that time, clubs began hiring former referees. It was not limited to Barcelona; other clubs did it too. Now almost every club has them.”

He said any sporting offence by Barcelona would have to be dealt with through the federation’s courts and the Court of Arbitration for Sport, potentially followed by the ordinary courts.

“I need to know the facts before giving my opinion,” Villar said. “I do not know the status of the case, so I will refrain from commenting.”

Villar also defended FIFA president Gianni Infantino, saying his image had been “completely distorted”. He said Infantino had not personally withdrawn a red card at the World Cup in the United States and that his proposal to sell 30% of media rights to private companies had been intended to provoke debate rather than be implemented.

On the 2030 World Cup final, Villar said he wanted it to be staged in Spain rather than Morocco.

“I do not want it anywhere else, but I will not make a great fuss about it,” he said. “I have made several proposals, but they rejected them all.”