Former Barcelona president Sandro Rosell was arrested on Tuesday in a money laundering investigation related to the sale of the Brazilian national football team's television rights, officials said.

The authorities suspect Rosell and the former head of the Brazilian football federation, Ricardo Teixeira, of having siphoned off 15 million euros ($16.8 million) over the years, according to a source close to the investigation.

Rosell's wife and three other people were also detained as part of the operation carried out in Spain's northeastern region of Catalonia, police said in a statement.

"The investigation concerns the crime of money laundering, through the collection of illegal commissions for the audovisual rights of the Brazilian national football team," the statement said.

Earlier a police spokesman had said the money which is suspected of having been laundered came from the sale of image rights in the Brazilian national team.

The authorities suspect the money was moved from Brazil to a Swiss bank account, and from there to a company owned by Rosell based in Andorra, a tiny principality wedged between Spain and France that used to be considered a tax haven.

Rosell and Teixeira, who headed the Brazilian football federation between 1989 and 2012, are suspected of dividing up the bulk of this money amongst themselves.

Rosell, 53, was manager of sporting goods giants Nike in Brazil and oversaw the contract for the national team to wear the US brand, before taking over as president of Barcelona in 2010.

Teixeira -- a son-in-law and protege of the late Joao Havelange, who led FIFA for 24 years from 1974-1998 -- stepped down as head of the Brazilian football federation in 2012 amid corruption allegations.

Brazilian authorities suspect Teixeira and Havelange of having received huge bribes from former Switzerland-based marketing company International Sport and Leisure (ISL) for granting it lucrative contracts.

Police searched the homes and businesses of those arrested in Barcelona, Girona and Lleida in Catalonia and in Andorra as part of the operation.

Rosell's home in an upscale Barcelona neighbourhood a short drive from the Camp Nou stadium was among the residences that were searched.

Police officers removed boxes of documents from the home as journalists looked on.

Rosell's wife, Marta Pineda, accompanied police as they searched another home belonging to the couple.

Rosell resigned as Barcelona president in 2014 after being charged over alleged tax fraud relating to the club's signing of Brazil striker Neymar from Santos.

He was later cleared of all charges in connection with the case following an agreement with prosecutors.

Rosell will nevertheless be tried for fraud and corruption relating to a parallel complaint filed by Brazilian investment company DIS, which owned 40 percent of Neymar's sporting rights at the time of his transfer.

DIS claim it was cheated out of its real share because part of the transfer fee was concealed by Barcelona, Santos and the Neymar family.

A Spanish court earlier this month ordered Neymar and his parents to stand trial for alleged "business corruption" over the affair, making him the latest star from the Catalan club to have to take the stand.

Five-time World Player of the Year Lionel Messi and his father were given 21-month suspended jail sentences in July 2016 for tax fraud relating to the player's image rights.

Barca's Argentine defender Javier Mascherano also agreed a one-year suspended sentence with authorities for tax fraud earlier this year.