The former Romania captain, who earned 115 caps for his country and played in three World Cups between 1990 and 1998 as well as the 1996 and 2000 European Championships, was jailed for three years and one month for tax evasion and money laundering.

The 46-year-old was tipped to become the next President of the Romanian Football Association (FRF) which is holding elections this week.

However, Popescu, who had spells with FC Barcelona, PSV Eindhoven and Tottenham Hotspur, will now spend time behind bars for his part in the fraud.

It involved 12 players moving from Romanian teams, such as Bucharest rivals Dinamo and Rapid, Gloria Bistrita and Otelul Galati, to foreign clubs and included former Romania internationals Cosmin Contra and Ionel Ganea, between 1999 and 2005.

Steaua Bucharest's general manager Mihai Stoica was sentenced to three years and six months, the former Rapid Bucharest owner George Copos received three years and eight months and the former Dinamo Bucharest owner Cristian Borcea was jailed for six years and four months.

Former Gloria Bistrita chairman Jean Pădureanu and Gheorghe Nețoiu, who was a large shareholder in FC Universitatea Craiova, and football agents Ioan Becali and Victor Becali, will also spend between three-and-half and six years locked up.

Popescu played 115 times for Romania and appeared at three World Cups
©AFP/Getty Images



Prosecutors said the state lost RON7.6 million (£1.4 million/$2.34 million/€1.7 million) in taxes and the clubs lost RON45 million (£8.2 million/$13.8 million/€10 million) because the officials registered false sums for the transfers.

All eight officials involved had denied any wrongdoing and launched an appeal after being originally convicted in November 2012.

However that appeal has been rejected by the Court if Appeal which said in a statement: "The sentences cannot be appealed and are deemed final."

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