The Spanish National Court has acquitted former Barcelona president, Sandro Rosell, of money laundering after spending 20 months in pre-trial custody.
The 55-year-old was accused, alongside his wife and four others, of laundering fees for broadcast rights to the Brazil football team’s matches and a sponsorship contract with Nike since 2006.
Sandro Rosell and his wife were also accused of hiding money illegally obtained by Ricardo Teixeira, the former head of the Brazilian Football Confederation.
Prosecutors for the ex-Barca boss to be jailed for six years despite being imprisoned from May 2017 and February 2019.
The National Court said it had acquitted all six accused persons because “after evaluating the evidence presented during the trial, the accusations were not proven.”
He resigned as Barcelona president in 2014 over murky transfer dealings that brought Brazilian striker Neymar to the club from Santos.
He is still going to be tried in another case for corruption and tax evasion claims related to Neymar’s transfer to the Spanish giants in 2013.
