Former Tottenham Hotspur and Barcelona defender Gheorghe Popescu has been jailed for three years.

The 46-year-old was handed the punishment today for his involvement in financial irregularities relating to the sale of footballers, according to Romanian publication Adevarul.

The case centred around a number of players that were transferred from Liga I clubs Dinamo Bucharest, Rapid Bucharest, Otelul Galati and Gloria Bistrita to various foreign clubs between 1999 and 2005.

Popescu spent one season at White Hart before he was transferred to Barcelona in 1995.