Real Betis owner and former president Manuel Ruiz de Lopera has been accused by the state prosecutor's office of abusing his position and siphoning off money from the club.

The prosecutor's office said Lopera had drained the funds via his Encadesa business which had been given exclusive rights to administer the earnings produced by the club.

In a statement the prosecutor said that Lopera had "abused his position for his own or a third party benefit and prejudiced the interests of the club", adding that Encadesa's accounts "lacked transparency".

The statement went on to say that Betis's accounts showed losses of over 11 million euros (£8.55 million) and that the club owed 8.29 million euros (£6.44 million) to the tax office.

If found guilty Lopera could face a sentence of between six months and four years in prison as well as a heavy fine.

Reuters