Image copyright AFP/Getty Images Image caption Angel Maria Villar Llona was reprimanded by Fifa for not co-operating with an inquiry

The president of the Spanish Football Federation and his son have been held as part of a corruption investigation, police in Spain say. Spanish FA president Angel Maria Villar and his son, former CONMEBOL executive Gorka Villar, and three other men have been arrested as part of a corruption investigation.A spokesman for Spain's Guardia Civil told The Associated Press that police agents raided the offices of the Real Federacion Espanola de Futbol (RFEF) early Tuesday as part of an investigation into its finances.The office of the state prosecutor in charge of anti-corruption said they suspect Villar, who is FIFA's senior vice president and a UEFA vice president, of having arranged matches for Spain's national team that led to business deals that benefited his son.The other three men arrested were Juan Padron, the federation's vice president of economic affairs, along with the president and the secretary of the regional federation for Tenerife.Police said the five men were arrested on charges of improper management, misappropriation of funds, corruption and falsifying documents as part of a probe into the finances of the federations. The state prosecutor and Spanish police both said that Villar, his son Gorka Villar, and two other soccer officials were detained while raids were carried out at the federation headquarters and other properties. Police also arrested two other football executives, Juan Padron, a financial deputy director and president of the Tenerife football federation, and Ramon Hernandez Baussou, secretary general of the Tenerife federation, as part of the operation called SOULE. Police said the five men were arrested on charges of improper management, misappropriation of funds, corruption and falsifying documents as part of a probe into the finances of the federations. “As the matter seems to be linked to internal affairs of the Spanish Football Association, for the time being we kindly refer you to them for further details.”

As part of an operation called “Soule,” the Guardia Civil’s anti-corruption unit said it raided the national federation’s headquarters, the offices of the regional soccer federation on the island of Tenerife, and “headquarters of businesses and several private homes linked to the arrested individuals.”

Police started the probe in early 2016 after a complaint was made by Spain’s Higher Council of Sport, the government’s sports authority. Inigo Mendez de Vigo, Spain’s minister of education, culture and sport, told national television moments after the raids that “in Spain the laws are enforced, the laws are the same for all, and nobody, nobody is above the law.”

Calls made by The Associated Press to both the Spanish Football Federation and the regional soccer federation of Tenerife went unanswered. “We have taken note of the media reports concerning the situation of Mr. Villar Llona,” FIFA said in a statement. We have no comment to make at this time.” The Higher Council of Sport said it will “use everything in its means to ensure that competitions are not affected” by the arrests. Villar at the heart of FIFA and UEFA politics

A former professional football player, the 67-year-old Villar has been the head of Spain's football federation since 1988, overseeing its national team's victories in the 2010 World Cup and the 2008 and 2012 European Championships. A number of court cases have been brought over the years, but no charges ever stuck.Gorka Villar stepped down as CONMEBOL director general in July 2016 after his time with the South American federation had also brought many allegations of wrongdoing.
The President of Spanish Football Federation and Vicepresident of FIFA and UEFA, Ángel María Villar, is arrested with his son amid a corruption scandal.