Ángel María Villar Llona re-elected RFEF president

Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) president Ángel María Villar Llona will continue at the helm of Spanish football for a further four years after his re-election at the federation's extraordinary general assembly in Madrid.

First elected to the position in 1988, Mr Villar Llona will thus begin his seventh term as president of the RFEF – which runs from 2012 to 2016. He is also a vice-president of UEFA and of the world footballing body FIFA, and UEFA President Michel Platini attended the assembly, offering his congratulations to Mr Villar Llona, who is in charge while the Spanish game enjoys a golden period.

During his 24-year tenure, Mr Villar Llona has witnessed Spain claim a staggering 41 titles including the 2010 FIFA World Cup, UEFA EURO 2008, the 2011 UEFA European Under-21 Championship and the UEFA European Womenʼs Under-17 Championship the same year. Having offered his thanks to the assembly members for their support, the 62-year-old former Spanish international outlined the future challenges facing his organisation.

"The confidence you have shown in me allows me to reach a level of personal effort that is ever more intense," he said. "From 1988 until now, we have achieved extraordinary results. Everything we have managed during these years will be difficult to better, but it has all come about through the work of footballing people, those at ground level, the anonymous. To all of you, I say thanks. Without you, none of this would have been possible.

"To become world champions is not easy, but we achieved it," he added. "Now we have new challenges, like the European Championship which takes place in two great countries, Poland and Ukraine. We have an important goal in trying to retain the title – and we will go there with hope and give our all while knowing it won't be easy. We also have the Olympic Games in London, the FIFA Futsal World Cup in Thailand and the European tournaments at underage level to look forward to."