MADRID, Spain – July 10, 2025 – Carlo Ancelotti, the acclaimed manager of the Brazil national football team and a figure synonymous with footballing success, has been handed a one-year prison sentence by a Spanish court for tax fraud committed during his first spell as Real Madrid coach in 2014. The verdict, delivered yesterday, also includes a fine of €386,000 ($452,187).
Spanish prosecutors had sought a more severe punishment, including a prison sentence of up to four years and nine months, accusing the Italian of defrauding the state of approximately €1 million ($1 million) in 2014 and 2015. Under Spanish law, first-time offenders for non-violent crimes, particularly those with sentences under two years, often have their prison terms suspended. This precedent has been set by numerous other high-profile football figures, including Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, who also faced similar tax fraud convictions in Spain but avoided incarceration.
Ancelotti, who celebrated his 67th birthday today, maintained his innocence during his court appearances, stating he never intended to defraud the tax authorities. He testified that he was unaware that the arrangements for managing his image rights, which were handled by his financial advisors, would lead to an underpayment of taxes. He further claimed to have believed such practices were common among players and coaches at the time. Ancelotti reportedly settled the outstanding debt in December 2021.
The court, however, found a “conscious desire to evade the payment of taxes” through “artificial mechanisms” regarding his image rights for the 2014 fiscal year.