A Spanish court on Wednesday handed down a one-year prison sentence to former Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti for tax fraud from 2014, a punishment that does not require the Brazil national team manager to serve time behind bars.
Prosecutors accused the Italian of establishing a network of shell companies to conceal additional income during his initial tenure as the manager of Real Madrid between 2014 and 2015, particularly through image rights.
They claimed that the 66-year-old, renowned as one of the most accomplished managers in football history, neglected to pay over one million euros in taxes due to unreported earnings during those years, initially seeking a sentence of four years and nine months in prison for him.
During his highly publicised trial in April, Ancelotti claimed that he did not consciously commit fraud, saying he was unaware that a plan enabling him to receive part of his salary through image rights would result in a lower tax obligation.
A court in Madrid revealed that it had found Ancelotti guilty of an offence against the treasury resulting in a one-year prison sentence, along with a fine of 386,361 452,821.