Ex-Barca boss Rosell held without bail

Beckham makes ballot for Hall of Fame

MADRID, May 25, (Agencies): Former Barcelona president Sandro Rosell will remain in prison whilst being investigated for money laundering related to the sale of the Brazilian national football team’s television rights after being denied bail on Thursday.

After hearing Rosell’s testimony before Spain’s National Court on Thursday, Judge Carmen Lamela Diaz considered, in a decision made public by the court, that Rosell posed a flight risk, could destroy evidence and posed a risk of reoffending if granted bail, in a decision made public by the court.

Rosell, 53, was arrested on Tuesday on suspicion that he and former head of the Brazilian football federation (CBF), Ricardo Teixeira, who is not part of the investigation, siphoned off 15 million euros ($16.8 million) in illegal commissions from TV rights deals.

Rosell, his wife and three other accomplices who were also arrested on Tuesday, are accused of mounting a criminal organisation that “laundered money from illicit commissions” derived by Teixeira selling the rights to Brazil’s matches.

One of the other accused Joan Besoli was also denied bail, however both men can appeal the decision.

The investigation is centred on a contract signed in 2006 to hand over the rights to 24 Brazil friendly matches to a company based in the Cayman Islands but tied to Saudi group Dallah Albaraka.

The contract states that whoever bought the rights would have to pay into funds controlled by Rosell and Teixeira.

Rosell

La Liga club Barcelona have expressed their support for Argentine striker Lionel Messi and his father after the Spanish Supreme Court upheld their prison sentences over tax fraud charges, although neither are expected to go to jail.

Five-time World Player of the Year winner Messi, who has been at Barcelona since the age of 13, was handed a 21-month prison sentence and fined 2 million euros ($2.25 million) for three counts of tax fraud between 2007 and 2009.

“The club reiterates, once again, its full support for Leo Messi, his father Jorge Messi, and his family,” a statement on the club’s official website read. (www.fcbarcelona.com)

“FC Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu contacted the player’s family to communicate this support.

Former England captain David Beckham, who won two Major League Soccer titles with the Los Angeles Galaxy, was among the first-time candidates named on the ballot for the US National Soccer Hall of Fame on Wednesday.

The 42-year-old former Manchester United and Real Madrid midfielder played six seasons in MLS, all of them for the Galaxy, and helped his team to win championships in the last two of those seasons, 2011 and 2012.

His arrival in Los Angeles in 2007 put MLS on the map and brought a level of legitimacy and visibility that otherwise may have taken the North American league decades to reach.

Beckham, who is currently trying to get his proposed MLS franchise off the ground in Miami, met the Hall of Fame’s eligibility criteria given his seasons in MLS, during which he scored 18 goals in 98 games.

The 2016 Premier League champions Leicester City will join Liverpool, West Bromwich Albion and Crystal Palace for the next edition of the Asia Trophy in Hong Kong as the former British colony was named sole host of the 2017 event on Thursday.

Matches in the four-team tournament — which has an all-Premier League lineup for the first time since the event began in 2003 — will be played on July 19 and 22 at Hong Kong Stadium.

The ‘Lisbon Lions’ parade due to be held on Sunday to mark the 50th anniversary of Celtic winning the European Cup will not be held, the club announced on Thursday.

Celtic also announced there will be no presenting of the trophy to fans if they beat Aberdeen in Saturday’s Cup final to seal the domestic treble after consulting with police in the light of Monday’s suicide bombing in Manchester that left 22 dead and dozens wounded.

Spanish international winger Jesus Navas and experienced French defender Gael Clichy on Thursday became the latest players to be released by Manchester City in the promised close season clearout.

The duo join veteran Argentinian full-back Pablo Zabaleta in leaving after their contracts ended following an underwhelming campaign that resulted in the first ever trophy-less season for manager Pep Guardiola.

Others like Ivorian midfield great Yaya Toure, Clichey’s compatriot and fellow defender Bacary Sagna and goalkeeper Willy Caballero are also yet to learn whether they will be offered new terms.

Navas, 31, made over 100 Premier League appearances for City over the four years he spent there — scoring four times — and was pivotal member of the 2013/14 title winning team and won the League Cup to boot in the same campaign.

“Working with Jesus has been a pleasure,” said City director of football Txiki Begiristain.

A former general secretary of the Cayman Islands Football Association has pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy in connection with the US probe into bribery involving the world soccer governing body FIFA.

Costas Takkas, a 60-year-old British citizen, entered his plea on Wednesday at a hearing before US District Judge Pamela Chen in Brooklyn, New York. He faces a maximum 20-year prison term when he is sentenced on Sept 19, court records show.

Takkas was among more than 40 people and entities charged in a US probe into the payment of more than $200 million of bribes and kickbacks to soccer officials, in exchange for marketing and broadcast rights.

Everton are looking to sign “productive” players in the upcoming transfer window to strengthen their squad for next season, manager Ronald Koeman has said.

Everton finished seventh in the Premier League to book a spot in the Europa League next season and Koeman said he was looking for more attacking-minded players for his squad during the off-season.

“A clear objective will be to bring in players who will have more productivity,” Koeman told the club’s website. (www.evertonfc.com) “I expect that we can change that for next season.

Spanish prosecutors are considering whether Cristiano Ronaldo should face charges over allegations by the country’s tax agency that he defrauded the authorities of 15 million euros ($16.7 million) between 2011 and 2014.

Prosecutors said Thursday they have until the end of June to decide whether to charge the Real Madrid star, based on evidence from an investigation by tax officials.

The alleged irregularities were mostly related to money that Ronaldo had in the Virgin Islands.