A high court in the capital Brasilia decided Edinho, as the son of the football great is known, should be free until his final appeal is analysed.

Edinho left the prison in Santos, on the outskirts of Sao Paulo, on Thursday. He denied any wrongdoing in a quick news conference.

Edinho played for years as a goalkeeper at Santos, his father's former club. He retired in 1999.

He was convicted for the first time in 2014 to 33 years in prison, but that sentence was reduced to 12 years, 10 months.