Former Barcelona president Sandro Rosell was arrested on Tuesday in a money laundering investigation related to image rights in the Brazilian national football team, a police spokesman told AFP.
The police operation was mainly carried out in the northeastern region of Catalunya and for the moment “there are four or five detainees, including the former president of Barca, Sandro Rosell, and his wife,” the police spokesman said.
The investigation focuses on “money laundering in companies linked to the image rights of the Brazilian football team,” police added.
Officers were searching the homes of those arrested as part of the operation as well as at several company headquarters in Barcelona, Girona and Lleida in Catalonia and in Andorra, a tiny principality wedged between Spain and France, police said.
Businessman Rosell, 53, was manager of sporting goods giants Nike in Brazil and oversaw the contract for the national team to wear the US brand, before taking over as president of Barcelona in 2010.
He resigned as Barcelona president in 2014 after being charged over alleged tax fraud relating to the club’s signing of Brazil striker Neymar from Santos. He was later cleared of all charges in connection with the case following an agreement with prosecutors.
Rosell will nevertheless be tried for fraud and corruption relating to a parallel complaint filed by Brazilian investment company DIS, which owned 40% of Neymar’s sporting rights at the time of his transfer.
DIS claim it was cheated out of its real share because part of the transfer fee was concealed by Barcelona, Santos and the Neymar family.
A Spanish court earlier this month ordered Neymar and his parents to stand trial for alleged “business corruption” over the affair, making him the latest star from the Catalan club to have to take the stand.
Five-time World Player of the Year Lionel Messi and his father were given 21-month suspended jail sentences in July 2016 for tax fraud relating to the player’s image rights.
Barca’s Argentine defender Javier Mascherano also agreed a one-year suspended sentence with authorities for tax fraud earlier this year.
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Scholes
Gerrard
Lampard
Bergkamp
Ronaldo
and
Djimi Traore
got to be Giggs and Scholes next surely. 13 and 11 Premier league medals respectively. Keano as well, winning captain 4 times.
@Alan Clarke: Don’t think Giggs will be inducted any time soon..
Not a bad pair. Probably the 2 forwards in a 4-4-2 all-time Premier League XI.
Keano has to be first one in there
7 pl titles most as captain
@Aiden: JT actually has most as captain even tho he played only 9 games for his last medal.
@Aiden: keane “only” won 4 as captain. The other 3 he won he had bruce or cantona as captain. Terry won 5 as captain.
Henry The Cheat!!!
@Joe Kelly: Let it go, Joe.
Cantona 1st
Keane 2nd or 3rd with Shearer
Emile Heskey next
Is there anything to be said for having some goalies and backs in there or is it all about goal scorers?
“Do me a favour”
John o’shea sorely missed here
This Hall of Fame won’t be legitimate till Emile Heskey takes his rightful place in it
@Jake Kelly: ranked 23rd all time top scorers in premier League history…
4 league Cups
FA Cup.
UEFA Cup
UEFA Super Cup
Charity Shield…
Not a bad about I suppose…
Crouch
Niko
Frank
That is if Harry is picking