A Spanish court on Wednesday sentenced former Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti to one year in prison for tax fraud committed in 2014—though the Brazil national team coach will not serve any time behind bars.
Prosecutors accused the 66-year-old Italian of using shell companies to conceal income earned during his first stint as Real Madrid manager, particularly from image rights. They alleged he failed to declare over €1 million in earnings between 2014 and 2015 and had sought a prison term of four years and nine months.
Ancelotti, one of the most decorated managers in football history, denied knowingly committing fraud during his trial in April. He claimed he was unaware that part of his salary structured through image rights would lead to reduced tax obligations.
In its ruling, the Madrid court found Ancelotti guilty of a tax offence for 2014 and imposed a sentence of one year in prison along with a €386,361 ($452,821) fine. However, because the sentence is under two years and Ancelotti has no prior criminal convictions, he will not be required to serve jail time under Spanish law.
The court cleared him of any wrongdoing related to the 2015 tax year. Ancelotti, who has since moved out of Spain, previously managed clubs including Chelsea, Bayern Munich, and Paris Saint-Germain.
