Pedrerol Pulls Angel Maria Villar's Tongue Over the Negreira Case: 'Do You Think...?'

Josep Pedrerol has sat Ángel María Villar down in front of the microphone for his podcast, 'El cafelito'. One of the topics that seemed obvious to come up was the Negreira case and Barcelona's payments. He was the president of the Federation when he was appointed vice-president of the CTA.

Villar seems to have been aware that this issue would come up and prepared a response after acknowledging his appointment. In fact, he has no qualms about admitting that “I knew I was going to be asked this question before coming here.” Even so, he leaves some rather striking phrases.

And he starts by throwing out balls out as he seems to want to make it clear that the vice-president of referees had little power. “Negreira had no responsibility in the referee  appointment, nor in appointing international referees, nor in proposing promotions and relegations” he said.

Although perhaps, knowing that his words were somewhat credible, he tried to qualify them a little later. He has clarified that these responsibilities were not “his exclusive responsibility.” So it does seem that Negreira had influence in the important decisions that were taken, as vice-president of the referees.

Villar passes the buck to avoid getting involved in the Negreira case

Ángel María Villar knows that his image is once again in question, after everything he has been through in the Federation. The fact that he was the one who appointed Negreira puts him in the spotlight. That's why he maintains that “we found out afterwards that he was being paid by Barcelona, as many people have found out.”

In fact, during the interview he reiterates that “I appointed him, but without knowing that he was paid by FC Barcelona”. In fact, he wants to make it clear that “if not, we wouldn't have appointed him. Do you think that as president of the Federation I am going to appoint a vice-president of the referees when he is paid by Barcelona?”

Although it seems that the former president of the Spanish Football Federation is not comfortable with the subject. “As this is a matter that is in a criminal procedure, why don’t we stop talking about it?” he suggests to Pedrerol. Although the journalist ends up pulling his tongue.