Carlo Ancelotti, the current head coach of Brazil’s national football team and former Real Madrid manager, has been sentenced to one year in prison by a Spanish court for tax fraud related to image rights earnings during his tenure in Spain from 2014 to 2015.
The case involves undisclosed income tied to Ancelotti’s image rights, which prosecutors argued were not properly declared to Spanish tax authorities. Although Ancelotti has already repaid the owed amount of €1.5 million, the court proceeded with a formal sentence.
Under Spanish law, however, prison sentences of less than two years for non-violent offenses are typically suspended, provided the individual has no prior criminal record — a condition that applies to Ancelotti. As a result, he is not expected to serve jail time, although the conviction will remain on record.
This case adds to a growing list of tax-related legal issues involving high-profile football figures in Spain over the past decade.
