MADRID, July 9 (Reuters) – Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti has been handed a one-year prison sentence by a Spanish court for failing to declare income from image rights during his tenure as Real Madrid manager in 2014. The Madrid court announced on Wednesday that Ancelotti did not pay taxes on substantial earnings derived from his personal image rights, constituting tax fraud under Spanish law.
The case stems from Ancelotti’s time in charge of Real Madrid, when he reportedly concealed income while fulfilling his tax obligations. Prosecutors argued that the coach had created a complex structure to shift earnings and avoid declaring them in Spain.
READ MORE: Biggest Cybercrime raid in Pakistan: Tehseen Awan’s Faisalabad warehouse uncovered as Hi-Tech crime hub
Despite the conviction, Ancelotti is unlikely to serve time in jail. Under Spanish legal norms, non-violent first-time offenders sentenced to less than two years in prison are typically spared incarceration, often serving probation or paying a fine instead. This legal precedent has seen several football personalities, including Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, avoid prison under similar circumstances.
Ancelotti, who is set to lead Brazil at the 2026 World Cup, has not yet commented publicly on the ruling. The conviction adds to the long list of tax-related cases involving football stars in Spain in recent years.
