After having represented Athletic Bilbao for one decade (appearing in more than 350 official matches and scoring 11 goals),[1] he went on to serve as president of the Spanish Football Federation for almost 30 years.

He was an undisputed starter in nine of his ten seasons with the Basque side, helping them to two Copa del Rey finals and winning the 1973 edition.

[4] He eventually received a four-match ban for his actions, but the pair later reconciled,[5] and Villar retired seven years later with 361 competitive appearances for his main club.

[12] Having already worked in the Royal Spanish Football Federation under president José Luis Roca, Villar was elected his successor in 1988.

[18] The following month, he was fined 25,000 Swiss francs and warned by the FIFA Ethics Committee for failing to cooperate with the investigation into the bidding process of the 2018 World Cup.