Spanish prosecutors have demanded former Barcelona president Sandro Rosell to be jailed for 11 years and fined €59 million for alleged money laundering in relation to television rights and sponsorship in Brazil.
Rosell, his wife and four other people have been accused of “large-scale money laundering” by the prosecutors at the National Court in Madrid, of at least €19.9 million since 2006.
They are charged for hiding money illegally obtained by the former head of the Brazilian Football Confederation – Ricardo Teixeira.
The case revolves around a deal that was signed by Teixeira in 2006 with a company based in the Cayman Islands for the television rights to 24 friendly matches of the Brazilian national team.
In total, Rosell and his wife allegedly illegally received close to €15 million in their accounts as part of that deal.
The couple received €6.6 million while Teixeira got 8.4 million, according to the prosecutors.
Rosell and others accused are also suspected of having cooperated in hiding almost five million euros which were illegally obtained by Teixeira for a Nike sponsorship deal with the Brazilian team.
The National Court had announced in June that the defendants would stand trial over the case, while Teixeira is being investigated in Brazil.
Teixeira is also an accuse in the FIFA corruption scandal.
Rosell on the other hand, is accused of money laundering and also leading a criminal organisation.
Prosecutors also want his wife, Marta Pineda, to be jailed for seven years and fined €50 million.
Of the other four, prosecutors are demanding Joan Besoli, to be jailed for 10 years and fined €55 million.
