Carlo Ancelotti Sentenced for Tax Evasion
A court in Madrid has sentenced Carlo Ancelotti, the coach of the Brazilian national football team, to a year in prison along with a monetary penalty of €386,000 (approximately $375,000) for tax evasion concerning his image rights from his tenure as manager of Real Madrid in 2014.
Details of the Case
According to a court announcement, Ancelotti is likely to receive a suspended sentence since under Spanish law, sentences of less than two years for non-violent offenses usually do not lead to actual incarceration, especially for individuals with no prior criminal record.
The prosecution had initially called for a much harsher punishment, seeking a prison term of four years and nine months alongside a fine of €3.2 million (around $3.7 million). They argued that Ancelotti failed to declare earnings from image rights on his tax returns while only reporting his salary from the club for the years 2014 and 2015.
Context of the Case
This incident places Ancelotti among various prominent athletes and coaches scrutinized by Spanish tax authorities in recent years. Other notable cases include renowned football stars like Cristiano Ronaldo and Diego Costa, both of whom opted for out-of-court settlements involving considerable fines.
Contrastingly, in 2023, former Bayer Leverkusen player Xabi Alonso was acquitted after he chose to contest the allegations against him, firmly maintaining his innocence.
