The head coach of Brazil‘s national team, Carlo Ancelotti, is the most recent individual in the realm of soccer to face accusations of fiscal impropriety within Spain, as reported by The Athletic. The former head coach of Real Madrid has received a sentence of twelve months imprisonment alongside a monetary penalty of €386,361 for neglecting to remit appropriate taxes on revenue derived from his image rights during the fiscal period of 2014. This period coincided with his initial tenure as the head coach of Real Madrid. It is anticipated that he will not be required to serve the custodial sentence. Notably, other prominent figures, including Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, have encountered analogous charges in Spain previously.
Ancelotti did not encounter any charges pertaining to the 2015 tax year, attributable to the court’s inability to conclusively establish that Ancelotti’s duration of residence within Spain was sufficiently prolonged to warrant tax obligations, owing to his relocation to London subsequent to his dismissal from Real Madrid. It is anticipated that this matter will not culminate in imprisonment, given Spain’s infrequent enforcement of custodial sentences of less than two years for individuals without histories of violence or prior offenses.
The proceedings transpired within the 30th Criminal Court of the Provincial Court of Madrid spanning from April 2 to April 3, during which it was substantiated that he had subsequently satisfied his outstanding debt, while his defense posited that Madrid bore the responsibility for ensuring precise tax deductions and that he lacked any intention to perpetrate fraudulent activities.
Ancelotti indeed returned to Real Madrid in 2021, resuming his coaching duties before assuming the role with the Brazilian national team in June of 2025; however, the years encompassing this subsequent period were not subjected to scrutiny during the aforementioned legal proceedings. The Spanish Prosecutor’s Office had initially advocated for a prison term of four years and nine months, accompanied by a fine of €3.2 million; nevertheless, both of these were reduced during the ultimate sentencing phase.
Ancelotti secured three Champions League titles while at the helm of Real Madrid, in addition to other distinctions.
