By Oluwamayowa Fakande
A Spanish court has sentenced Brazil national team coach and former Real Madrid manager, Carlo Ancelotti, to one year in prison for tax evasion related to his image rights earnings during his time at Real Madrid in 2014.
The court ruling, issued on Wednesday, stated that Ancelotti failed to declare income from image rights in his Spanish tax returns for the years 2014 and 2015, reporting only his salary from Real Madrid. Prosecutors had sought a prison term of four years and nine months, along with a €3.2 million ($3.7 million) fine.
However, under Spanish law, prison sentences under two years for first-time, non-violent offenders are typically suspended, meaning Ancelotti is unlikely to serve actual jail time.
Ancelotti now joins a list of high-profile football figures, including Cristiano Ronaldo and Diego Costa, who have faced scrutiny from Spanish tax authorities over undeclared earnings.
While many such cases have been resolved through settlements and substantial fines, Ancelotti’s case proceeded through the courts.
The ruling marks another chapter in Spain’s aggressive clampdown on tax evasion within professional football.
