Gorka Villar, the "honourable" son of Angel Maria Villar
Villar's son has also been arrested on corruption charges
He was previously director general of Conmebol
“I learnt to be honourable from my father,” Gorka Villar said in an interview with Cadena SER in May.
His father is Angel Maria Villar, president of the RFEF, and both father and son were arrested on Tuesday as part of an anti-corruption operation ordered by Spain's high court.
Gorka (Bilbao, 1975) was the director of his father's campaign in the last RFEF election and was responding to criticism made by candidate Jorge Perez about an electoral process that was overshadowed by corruption.
Gorka, a lawyer by trade specializing in labour law and sports law has also advised football federations in South America and was the director general of Conmebol.
A promoter of conferences on sports law and speaker at courses promoted by the RFEF, Gorka was named director general of Conmebol on 5 December 2014, thanks to the close relationship between his father and the then president of the Argentine Football Association (AFA), the late Julio Grondona.
His capacity to influence has been taken advantage of by sporting directors in South America, especially the Paraguayan Nicolas Leoz and Uruguayan Ernesto Figueredo.
The son of Grondona said, referring to Villar, that he "had spoken with the appropriate person" to lessen the punishment from Conmebol on Boca Juniors for the pepper spray attack on River Plate players during a Copa Libertadores clash.
He also interceded in a conflict between Uruguayan clubs Penarol and Nacional, both of whom wanted more money for TV rights to Libertadores games.
However in September 2015 the presidents of various football clubs accused Gorka of extortion. He was sacked in July 2016 without an explanation.
