FIFA holds Spain talks amid World Cup ban fears

MADRID: FIFA and the Spanish government agreed on Monday the “need to clarify as quickly as possible” the situation regarding the country’s football federation (RFEF) to avoid a potential World Cup ban.

World football’s governing body warned the Spanish federation in December that it could be suspended from the Russia 2018 because of government interference.The issue arose after long-time RFEF president Angel Maria Villar was forced to resign last year from the post he had occupied since 1988 following his arrest as part of a corruption investigation.

He was detained in July on allegations of collusion, embezzlement and falsifying documents and spent two weeks in custody before being released on bail.However, the Spanish Sports Council’s (CSD) insistence that new elections be called for the presidency of the football federation attracted FIFA’s interest for political interference. On Monday, FIFA secretary general Fatma Samoura met with Spanish sports minister Inigo Mendez de Vigo in Madrid, along with CSD president Jose Ramon Lete and interim RFEF chief Juan Luis Larrea.