After two years in prison, Sandro Rosell is absolved due to lack of proof

Spain's Audiencia Nacional - National Court in English - has found FC Barcelona's former president Sandro Rosell not guilty of money laundering commissions in Brazilian football and organised crime. This decision was taken after Rosell has already spent two years in prison. The court understood that "after valuing the proof the jury couldn't credit the accusations" aimed at Rosell. "We could only reach the verdict we did working under the condition that if there's any doubt, you must side in favour of the accused."

Rosell wasn't the only person found not guilty today. Joan Besoli, his business partner, Marta Pineda, his wife and Pedro Andres Ramos, Josep Colomer and Shahe Ohannessian.

In his sentencing Angel Hurtado explained that after analysing the proof the jury "weren't able to accredit the accusations to the accused and, as such due to the clear doubts, had to side in favour of the accused."

In the end the jury moved to reduce the prison sentences handed to Rosell from 11 to 6 years in prison. Besoli's sentence changed from 10 to 5 years and his wife's sentence was brought down from 7 years to just 11 months.

The others three people's sentences were reduced to less than two years.

After 21 months behind bars Rosell's lawyer, Andres Maluenda, said this situation wasn't common and asked for calm before they made any future decisions.

"We're all very happy. We knew he was innocent. Our parents have suffered the worst," is what his sister, Mariona, said.