Ex-Barca President sentenced to prison

Former Barcelona President Josep  Nunez has been sentenced to two years and two months in prison for the embezzlement of 13 million euros in public funds, although the 82-year-old is unlikely to serve any time behind bars because of his age, according to El Pais.

Nunez was Barca president between 1978 and 2000, overseeing successes including signing Diego Maradona in 1982 and winning a first European Cup trophy in 1992, but regular controversies and internal rows eventually saw him step down in 2000.

He was rarely seen at the Camp Nou under subsequent presidents Joan Gaspart and Joan Laporta, but Sandro Rosell, who resigned last week amid the ongoing investigation into the signing of Neymar, made a point of welcoming him back to games and official events in recent years.

Spain’s Supreme Court on Thursday upheld a finding from a lower court that Nunez had been a main part of a conspiracy that saw tax inspectors maintain “a pact of silence” while being paid millions of euros to accept returns they knew to be false.