A Spanish court has sentenced Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti to one year in prison for tax fraud committed in 2014 during his first spell as manager of Real Madrid.
The ruling, issued on Wednesday, 10 July, found that Ancelotti had failed to declare income related to image rights while working in Spain. However, he was acquitted of a similar charge for 2015, as the court determined that he had not remained in the country long enough that year to incur tax liability. Ancelotti left Spain after being sacked by Real Madrid in May 2015 and subsequently moved to London.
According to Spanish law, custodial sentences under two years for non-violent offences are typically suspended for first-time offenders, meaning the 66-year-old is unlikely to serve jail time.
Ancelotti, who has also managed Bayern Munich, Chelsea, AC Milan and Paris Saint-Germain, is the latest high-profile football figure to be investigated by Spanish tax authorities. Several former and current stars, including Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, have faced similar legal challenges in recent years.
