Carlo Ancelotti convicted in Spain for tax evasion

(dpa) Brazil's national soccer coach Carlo Ancelotti has been sentenced to one year in prison in Spain for tax evasion. The regional court in Madrid also imposed a fine of €386,361.93 on the Italian, according to the judiciary in the Spanish capital. The verdict is not yet final; an appeal is possible.

Meanwhile, the 66-year-old will definitely not be put behind bars. Prison sentences of up to two years are usually suspended in Spain. The public prosecutor's office had requested a prison sentence of four years and nine months and a fine of more than three million euros.

The court accused the former Real Madrid coach of failing to pay a total of approximately €1.06 million to the tax authorities during his first tenure with the Spanish record champions (2013 to 2015). The charges involved income from image rights in 2014 and 2015. Ancelotti was found guilty for the 2014 tax year. He was acquitted of the charge of tax evasion in the 2015 tax year.

At the hearing in Madrid in early April, Ancelotti assured the court that he never intended to defraud the state. He relied on the recommendations of his club and his advisors. He had already paid the tax demands in full in December 2021.

Between July 2016 and September 2017, Ancelotti was under contract with Bayern Munich. He also coached SSC Napoli, Paris Saint-Germain, and Chelsea FC. After his second tenure at Real Madrid, he is set to lead Brazil to its sixth World Cup title at the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada, and Mexico.