FIFA Meets in Spain with Government Officials

(ATR) FIFA Secretary General Fatma Samoura is analyzing potential government interference of the Spanish Football Federation.

Samoura met on Monday with Spanish officials to talk about the federation's concerns with attempts by the government to push elections at the National Federation after the arrest of former president Angel Maria Villar on suspicion of corruption.

According to the Statutes of FIFA, all member federations must manage their affairs independently and assure that there is no interference by third parties.

On Monday, Samoura addressed FIFA’s concerns in Madrid with the Minister of Education, Culture and Sport Iñigo Méndez de Vigo, along with the president of the Sports Council José Ramón Lete and the President of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) Juan Luis Larrea.

Later, FIFA released a statement saying that "the meeting took place in a climate of full collaboration".

The world’s football organization added that "both delegations agreed on the need to resolve as soon as possible and through the legal channels established the exceptional situation in which the RFEF is located to safeguard the interest of Spanish football and respect for rules, transparency and good governance."

Spanish football has had an interim president since last year when police arrested Villar, his son and two other soccer officials on suspicion of improper management, misappropriation of funds, corruption and falsifying documents.

Villar was replaced by Larrea, the RFEF’s treasurer for three decades.

Critics of Villar argue that elections are needed to make a clean start for the institution.

Written by Javier Monne

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