Carlo Ancelotti, legendary Italian football manager, has been handed down a sentence by a Spanish court. He is currently serving a one-year suspended prison sentence for committing tax fraud during his tenure as head-coach of Real Madrid. The sentencing comes on the heels of Ancelotti’s recent departure to lead Brazil’s national team ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. This judgment is furthering the focus on high-profile football personalities in Spain for their tax responsibility.
Ancelotti, pictured above in 2022, recently turned 66. He is now confronted with grave charges of bilking the Spanish government of about 1 million euros ($1 million) between 2014 and 2015. The prosecution brought allegations that he used front companies to hide his actual income while playing for Real Madrid. In March 2024, state prosecutors got a prison sentence imposed on him. They sought a sentence of 4 years and 9 months maximum because of two counts of tax evasion.
At Wednesday’s proceedings, the Madrid court hit Ancelotti with a 386,000 euro ($452,187) fine. The judge was looking at very large maximum punishments. Yet he instead decided to hand down a suspended sentence, allowed under Spanish law for first-time offenders whose sentences are less than two years. Thus Ancelotti will not go to prison unless he commits a new crime while the suspension is in force.
Carlos Sanchez, Ancelotti’s press officer, told the Guardian that the coach “won’t comment for the moment” on the court’s decision. Ancelotti himself recently finished the 2024-25 season with Real Madrid as a new record-worst trophy-less manager of the club. Almost immediately thereafter, he took the technical director position with Brazil’s national team.
The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) released a statement acknowledging its awareness of Ancelotti’s legal situation while affirming its support for the coach. Ancelotti is rightly considered one of football’s most successful managers. His impressive career includes league titles and cup trophies across the continent at some of Europe’s biggest clubs.
Ancelotti is now joined by a growing list of the biggest football legends like Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and others who are being prosecuted in Spain over tax-related issues. The Spanish authorities’ hardline investigation has led to increased fear within the sport around budgetary transparency and tax compliance.
