Former Real Madrid manager and current Brazil head coach Carlo Ancelotti has been handed a one-year suspended prison sentence by a Spanish court for tax fraud committed in 2014. The court found that the Italian tactician concealed over one million euros in earnings during his first spell in charge at the Spanish giants.
Ancelotti, 66, was found guilty of using a network of shell companies to hide income derived primarily from image rights, a method the court labeled as “blatantly fraudulent” and “lacking real economic logic.” Despite the severity of the allegations, the decorated coach will not serve jail time, as Spanish law often suspends prison terms under two years for first-time offenders.
Carlo Ancelotti, who denied any intention to defraud the Spanish treasury during a highly publicized trial in April, claimed he was unaware that the structure of his earnings would impact his tax obligations. However, the court ruled that he had shown a “conscious desire to evade taxes,” deliberately exploiting opaque structures and tax havens.
While prosecutors had pushed for a sentence of four years and nine months, the final ruling only covered the 2014 tax year. Ancelotti was cleared of wrongdoing in 2015, as the court could not definitively confirm that his fiscal residency was still in Spain at that time.
Carlo Ancelotti joins a growing list of football icons ensnared by Spain’s aggressive crackdown on tax evasion in recent years. Former Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho, and global superstars Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, have all been found guilty of similar offenses, though each avoided time behind bars due to suspended sentences.
Despite the legal setback, Ancelotti remains one of the most successful managers in football history. He boasts a record five UEFA Champions League titles as a manager, and has won major trophies with clubs like AC Milan, Chelsea, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, and Real Madrid. A former Italy international, Ancelotti was appointed head coach of Brazil’s national team following a rare trophyless campaign with Real Madrid last season.
This latest chapter adds a controversial footnote to an otherwise stellar football legacy, one that has now seen off-field troubles echo the fate of many footballing greats before him.
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