Carlo Ancelotti, head coach of Brazil’s national football team, has been handed a one-year suspended prison sentence by a Spanish court for tax fraud committed during his time as Real Madrid manager in 2014.
The Madrid court also ordered Ancelotti to pay a fine of €386,000 ($452,187) during Wednesday’s ruling. Spanish prosecutors had accused the veteran coach of defrauding the state of €1 million ($1m) across 2014 and 2015, alleging he used offshore shell companies to conceal image rights income.
In particular, prosecutors argued Ancelotti channelled earnings through a company registered in the British Virgin Islands, which they claimed lacked any legitimate economic activity. The court noted that while prosecutors had originally pushed for a prison term of up to four years and nine months on two counts of tax fraud, the final sentence was suspended given Ancelotti’s lack of prior criminal convictions and the fact that it falls below the two-year threshold.
Under Spanish law, judges have the discretion to suspend prison terms of under two years for first-time offenders.
The 66-year-old Italian, who recently left Real Madrid following a rare trophy-less 2024–25 season to take charge of Brazil, will therefore not serve time behind bars. He becomes the latest high-profile football figure targeted by Spanish tax authorities in recent years. Previous cases have involved the likes of Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and José Mourinho—all of whom also avoided jail time.
Ancelotti’s press officer, Carlos Sanchez, told The Associated Press that the coach “will not make comments for now.” Meanwhile, Brazil’s football confederation (CBF) said it was monitoring developments but did not respond to further requests for comment.
Ancelotti, widely regarded as one of the most successful coaches in football history, is the only manager to have won the UEFA Champions League five times—three with Real Madrid and twice with AC Milan. He is also the only coach to have claimed domestic league titles in England, Spain, Italy, Germany, and France.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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