Spanish football chief's niece killed after kidnapping Published duration 21 September 2016

image caption The body was found in Toluca, southwest of Mexico City

A Spanish woman kidnapped in Mexico last week has been found dead.

Maria Villar Galaz, who was the niece of Spanish Football Association president, Angel Maria Villar, had been missing since 13 September.

She was forced to withdraw money from cash machines before being held for ransom.

Spain's foreign minister said the kidnappers had been paid, but less than they asked for. The remains of Ms Galaz were identified on Tuesday.

Minister Jose Manuel Garcia Margallo told Spanish radio he had been convinced it would be "a matter of time before she appeared safe and sound".

"Unfortunately things did not turn out that way," he said.

The body of an unknown woman was found in the city of Toluca on Thursday, 15 September, two days after Ms Galaz' kidnapping, but she was not identified until the following Tuesday.

Two members of Ms Galaz' family and two Spanish police officers travelled to Mexico to secure her release, the AFP news agency reports.

image copyright AFP image caption Spanish FA chief Angel Maria Villar is Maria Villar Galaz's uncle

Ms Galaz' uncle, Angel Maria Villar, has been president of the Spanish Football Association since 1988.

A former international midfielder, he has held a number of senior positions in UEFA and FIFA.