Carlo Ancelotti: Why Former Real Madrid Coach Has Been Sentenced to Prison in Spain
- Brazil head coach Carlo Ancelotti has been sentenced to one year in prison, two months after leaving Real Madrid
- Alongside the jail term, the 66-year-old Italian tactician has been slapped with a $452,187 (GHS 4.7 million)
- He now joins a growing list of football greats, such as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, who have faced similar legal penalties
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Just two months after stepping down as Real Madrid’s head coach, Carlo Ancelotti has been handed a one-year prison sentence by a Spanish court.
The verdict was delivered on Wednesday, July 9, following a lengthy legal battle over tax-related offences.
Ancelotti, now at the helm of the Brazil national team, no longer resides in Spain. He was also fined €386,000 ($452,187) as part of the ruling.
Source: Getty Images
Why was Carlo Ancelotti sentenced?
The 66-year-old was found guilty of defrauding Spanish tax authorities of approximately €1 million ($1 million) during his initial spell at Real Madrid between 2014 and 2015.
Back in March 2024, Spanish prosecutors accused him of concealing earnings through shell companies.
One such entity, according to Al Jazeera, operated out of the Caribbean and had “no real [economic] activity,” making it a tool to obscure Ancelotti’s actual income.
Initially, state prosecutors were pushing for a harsher sentence, four years and nine months behind bars, based on two separate counts of tax fraud.
Will Ancelotti serve jail time?
Despite the conviction, Ancelotti will not spend any time in prison.
Spanish law allows first-time offenders to avoid incarceration if the sentence is under two years.
This means that, while the Italian manager must pay the imposed fine, he won’t have to serve the jail term.
Messi, Ronaldo, Mourinho has been convicted of fraud
Ancelotti now joins a list of high-profile names in football who’ve faced legal troubles in Spain over tax issues.
Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Jose Mourinho have all been convicted of similar offences.
However, like Ancelotti, none of them were made to serve prison time due to Spain's leniency for non-violent, first-time offences.
New chapter with Brazil amid legal troubles
While his case has been playing out in courtrooms, Ancelotti has quietly embarked on a new challenge.
He recently became the first-ever permanent foreign head coach of Brazil’s national team.
So far, the Italian tactician has made a solid start. After a goalless debut against Ecuador, he led the Selecao to a 1-0 victory over Paraguay, securing their spot in the 2026 World Cup, per ESPN.
Source: Getty Images
UEFA imposes fines and bans on 3 Real Madrid players
In a related publication, YEN.com.gh reported that UEFA has imposed hefty fines and suspended bans on three prominent Real Madrid stars following a dramatic Champions League encounter.
The disciplinary action stems from emotionally charged celebrations after Los Blancos edged Atletico Madrid in a tense penalty shootout. Interestingly, one key Madrid player managed to escape punishment from Europe’s football governing body.
Proofreading by Omoleye Omoruyi, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.
Source: YEN.com.gh
