A Spanish court has found world-renowned football coach Carlo Ancelotti guilty of tax fraud, sentencing him to one year in prison and imposing a fine of €386,361. The charges relate to image rights income Ancelotti failed to declare during his tenure as head coach of Real Madrid in 2014.
The court ruled that Ancelotti concealed more than €1 million through a network of shell companies, depriving Spanish tax authorities of rightful income. Prosecutors initially sought a sentence of up to four years and nine months, arguing that the Italian manager had intentionally misled authorities by routing his earnings through offshore entities.
Under Spanish law, however, non-violent first-time offenders with sentences under two years are typically not required to serve prison time. Ancelotti is therefore expected to avoid incarceration, with the sentence likely to be suspended, provided he meets the legal conditions set by the court.
In addition to the suspended prison term, Ancelotti has been barred for three years from receiving any form of public aid, tax benefits, or subsidies in Spain.
The case also included charges related to the year 2015, but the court acquitted Ancelotti on those counts after determining that he was not a Spanish tax resident at the time.
Ancelotti maintained throughout the trial that he had no intent to defraud Spanish authorities. In his defense, he stated that he had relied on Real Madrid’s legal advisors to structure his contracts and believed that the arrangements concerning his image rights were standard and legal.
“I never thought I was doing anything wrong,” Ancelotti told the court. “For me, everything was correct. I always acted in good faith.”
The ruling comes just months after Ancelotti stepped down from Real Madrid to take over as head coach of the Brazil national football team, where he is preparing to lead the squad into the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Despite the sentence, the ruling is not expected to impact his role with the Brazilian national team, although it may have longer-term implications for his legal standing and financial dealings in Spain.
This conviction places Ancelotti among several high-profile football figures – including Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and José Mourinho – who have faced tax evasion charges in Spain in recent years.
