Ex-Barcelona president Nunez loses final appeal to avoid jail term

Published Nov. 6, 2014 8:21 p.m. ET

foxsports

BARCELONA, Spain --

Former Barcelona club president Josep Luis Nunez has lost his final appeal against a court verdict that sentenced him to two years and two months in prison after being found guilty of bribing tax inspectors.

A court in Barcelona has ruled that the 83-year-old Nunez must enter prison ''in a period of 10 days'' after rejecting his appeal to remain free until the government hears his pardon request.

The court says in a statement ''a request for pardon ... does not carry an automatic right to suspend the carrying out of a sentence.''

Nunez was found guilty of having bribed tax inspectors in 2011. The original sentence of six years was later reduced.

Nunez was president of Barcelona from 1978-2000. He owns a construction company.