Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/850837
maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 19 JULY 2017 20 Sport SPORTTODAY FOOTBALL Head of the Spanish football federation, Angel Maria Villar, detained by police THE head of Spain's soccer federation (RFEF) Angel Ma- ria Villar, a FIFA vice presi- dent, was arrested on Tuesday after a raid on several offices in Madrid as part of an anti- corruption investigation, po- lice said. Villar, his son - named by Spanish media as Gorka - and several other Spanish soccer federation members were de- tained on allegations of collu- sion, fraud and embezzlement, the police said in a statement. Spain's High Court said one of its investigating magistrates and anti-corruption prosecu- tors were leading the investi- gation. Villar, a one-time midfielder for Athletic Bilbao, has been at the head of the federation for nearly 30 years. He was fined 25,000 Swiss francs ($26,000) last year by FIFA's Ethics Committee for failing to co-operate with an investigation into the contest to host the 2018 and 2022 World Cups that triggered the worst crisis in the soccer world governing body's history. Villar is also a vice-president of UEFA and ran for the presi- dency of that body last year to replace Frenchman Michel Platini before withdrawing, after being asked to stand for re-election at the RFEF. FIFA and UEFA said in sep- arate statements they were aware of media reports sur- rounding Villar but had no further comment. The investigation into Villar is already several months old and stems from claims raised by the Spanish state's sports body in early 2016, police said. At least four people were ar- rested in Tuesday's raids, ac- cording to police. They included another mem- ber of the RFEF and an execu- tive from the Tenerife soccer association, who are accused of misappropriating funds and siphoning them off to a com- pany they both manage, police said. The RFEF is due to hold an assembly on July 20 to approve the match schedule for Spain's next La Liga soccer season, a meeting usually presided over by Villar. Spain's Football Federation President Angel Maria Villar Totti appointed Roma director, ends playing career AS Roma talisman Francesco Totti has taken a role as a di- rector at the Serie A club, con- firming the end of his playing career after a remarkable 25 years at his only professional team. The 40-year-old former Italy forward played his last game for Roma as a second-half substitute against Genoa at the end of the season in May but had left the door open to playing elsewhere. However, Monday's news from the club that he will start work as a director means Totti has hung up his boots for good. After his last match he walked around the stadium and stood before the Curva Sud, tears welling in his eyes, for several minutes before kicking an autographed ball high into the stands. His team mates lined up to congratulate him before he addressed the stadium and on Monday he ref lected on that game. "I will start with the last day of my playing career, on 28 May 2017. For me it was an historic day, an important one, a day that for me was extremely emotional," Totti said. "The reception I got will al- ways be with me. It is difficult to explain to the fans the sen- sations and the emotions that I had on that day," he added on the Roma website (www. asroma.com). The club said Totti was now "looking forward to bringing the same passion and deter- mination he had as a player to his new role... as he begins work as a director for his boy- hood club". Totti, who will work with sporting director Monchi and coach Eusebio Di Francesco, acknowledged the end of his playing days. "...the first part is over, that of a player, and now begins an- other important assignment as a director, where hopefully I can have a similar impact as I did on the pitch," he said. "It was beautiful to play the game, but everything has to end... It's been 25 years and more of a beautiful relation- ship with Roma." Totti made his debut as a 16-year-old in a 2-0 win against Brescia in 1993 and played under 16 different coaches during his 25 seasons at the club in the city where he was born. In all he made 786 appear- ances, scoring 307 goals in- cluding 250 in Serie A -- the second-highest total by a sin- gle player after Silvio Piola be- tween 1929 and 1954. A World Cup winner with Italy in 2006, his trophy haul with Roma was surprisingly modest -- a single Serie A ti- tle in 2001 and two winners' medals from the largely un- loved Coppa Italia.