Fifa corruption investigation: Uefa vice-president Angel Villar Llona fined and warned over refusing to help 2018 World Cup investigation

Villar Llona has avoided a ban after 'subsequently expressed his commtment to collaborate' with the Fifa ethics committee's investigation

Martyn Ziegler
Friday 13 November 2015 11:58 GMT
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Uefa vice-president Angel Villar Llona has been fined and warned by Fifa
Uefa vice-president Angel Villar Llona has been fined and warned by Fifa (Getty Images)

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Spain's Uefa vice-president Angel Villar Llona has been fined 25,000 Swiss francs (£16,000) for failing to cooperate with an investigation into the 2018 World Cup bidding process.

Villar Llona, the senior vice-president in Uefa, has also been warned by Fifa's ethics committee but has escaped a ban.

A statement from the adjudicatory chamber of Fifa's ethics committee said: "Mr Villar Llona failed to behave in accordance with the general rules of conduct applicable to football officials in the context of the investigations conducted by the then chairman of the investigatory chamber of the Fifa ethics committee regarding the 2018/2022 Fifa World Cup bids.

"As he subsequently expressed his commitment to collaborate and demonstrated a willingness to cooperate, he has been sanctioned with a warning and a fine of CHF 25,000."

American lawyer Michael Garcia carried out an investigation into the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bids - Spain and Portugal bid jointly for 2018 along with England, Belgium/Holland jointly and eventual winners Russia.

Angel Villar Llona hugs Sepp Blatter after May's Fifa Congress meeting
Angel Villar Llona hugs Sepp Blatter after May's Fifa Congress meeting (Getty Images)

Villar Llona initially refused to co-operate but later did so. However, no details about the results of Garcia's probe into Spain and Portugal's bid were released by ethics committee judge Hans-Joachim Eckert in his initial findings which criticised England for their efforts to woo disgraced former Caribbean football chief Jack Warner.

Two members if the Congolese Football Association, its vice-president Jean Guy Blaise and general secretary Badji Mombo Wantete, have been banned for six months for offering cash gifts at this year's Fifa Congress.

Angel Villar Llona speaks with Uefa president Michel Platini
Angel Villar Llona speaks with Uefa president Michel Platini (Getty Images)

Fifa’s ethics committee would not give further details, but said in a statement: "Taking into consideration that they have already been suspended provisionally for 135 days, the remaining ban to be served will be 45 days as from the notification of this decision."

PA

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