BREAKING NEWS: Carlo Ancelotti handed one-year jail term for tax fraud

Brazil head coach, Carlo Ancelotti, has been sentenced to one year in prison by a Spanish court after being found guilty of tax fraud relating to the 2014 fiscal year.

The court determined that Ancelotti failed to properly declare income — particularly earnings from image rights — during his tenure at Real Madrid, resulting in a tax shortfall of €386,361.93.

He has also been fined the same amount.

The Spanish Prosecutor’s Office had accused Ancelotti of defrauding a total of €1,062,079 over the 2014 and 2015 tax years, citing irregularities in how he reported his earnings.

While the court convicted him for 2014, he was acquitted of a separate offence tied to his 2015 image rights.

Despite the prison sentence, Ancelotti is unlikely to serve actual jail time.

Under Spanish law, non-violent first-time offenders with sentences under two years often receive suspended sentences or alternative penalties.

The ruling does not affect Ancelotti’s current position as Brazil’s national team coach, but it casts a legal cloud over his leadership ahead of major international competitions.

Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith