Ancelotti

Ancelotti, one of the most successful managers in football history, received a one-year suspended sentence and large fine.

A Spanish court sentenced Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti to a one-year suspended prison term for tax fraud when he was Real Madrid manager in 2014.

The Madrid court also fined Ancelotti 386,000 euros ($452,187) during Wednesday’s proceedings.

Spanish prosecutors accused Ancelotti of defrauding the state of 1 million euros ($1m) in 2014 and 2015.

State prosecutors sought a prison sentence of up to four years and nine months on two counts of tax fraud.

But the former Chelsea, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain boss, who no longer lives in Spain, will not serve jail time because the sentence is less than two years and he has no criminal record. In Spain, a judge has the discretion to suspend a sentence of less than two years for first-time offenders.

In March 2024, prosecutors accused Ancelotti of having used shell companies to hide his true earnings. They claimed Ancelotti, for example, used one company that lacked “any real [economic] activity” in the Virgin Islands as part of an alleged scheme.

Carlos Sanchez, Ancelotti’s press officer, told The Associated Press that the coach “will not make comments for now.”

Brazil’s football confederation (CBF) said in a statement that it was following the case.

The Italian coach is the latest in a string of major football profiles to face a crackdown by Spanish authorities over unpaid taxes, although none have actually been sent to prison so far. That list includes star players Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, as well as Jose Mourinho, another former Madrid coach.

The CBF did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Ancelotti, who turned 66 last month, is one of football’s most successful coaches. He is the only coach to have won the Champions League five times, three with Madrid and twice with AC Milan, and the only coach to have won domestic league titles in England, Spain, Italy, Germany and France.

The former Italy midfielder left Real Madrid to become Brazil boss at the end of last season after a rare trophy-less campaign in the 2024-25 season.

Brazil manager Carlo Ancelotti has been sentenced to a year in prison by a Spanish court for tax evasion – but he will not have to serve time in jail.

The former Chelsea and Everton boss was accused of failing to pay 1m euros (£830,000) in tax on his salary during his first spell in charge of Real Madrid from 2013 to 2015.

He will avoid prison but does have to pay a fine of 386,361.93 euros (£333,045.92).

Ancelotti, 66, ended a second spell with Real at the end of last season and took the Brazil job.

Under Spanish law, any sentence under two years for a non-violent crime rarely requires a defendant without previous convictions to serve jail time.

Earlier this year, Ancelotti said he “never thought about committing fraud” as he testified in court.

Ancelotti said he was offered a net salary of 6m euros (£5.1m) by Real and that he left the structure of it to his financial advisers.

“I thought it was quite normal because at that time all the players and the previous coach had [done the same],” he said.

Ancelotti paid back the debt in full in December 2021.

Lionel Messi, then with Barcelona, was initially given a 21-month prison sentence in 2017, but this punishment was then reduced to a fine of 252,000 euros, with no jail term attached. Real striker Cristiano Ronaldo accepted an 18.8m euro fine in 2019.

Jose Mourinho, another former Chelsea boss, was fined 2.2m euros relating to tax charges during his time as Real manager from 2011-12.

Bayer Leverkusen’s Xabi Alonso poised to replace departing Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti, according to media reports.

Former Real Madrid midfielder Xabi Alonso is set to become the club’s next manager on a three-year deal when he leaves Bayer Leverkusen after this season, Spanish media report.

Alonso, 43, is expected to replace Real boss Carlo Ancelotti, who – despite having a year remaining on his Madrid contract – has just been confirmed as the new manager of Brazil in the run-up to the 2026 World Cup, the Brazilian FA (CBF) said on Monday.

Alonso, who said earlier this month that he was leaving Leverkusen after guiding them to the double last term, will join Real before the inaugural Club World Cup in the United States from June 15 to July 13, multiple media reports said.

Alonso, who also played for Liverpool and Bayern Munich, last season steered Leverkusen to their first Bundesliga title, ending the Bavarians’ 11-year domination, and they also won the German Cup and German Super Cup.

Ancelotti’s departure from the club come as no surprise after Real’s 4-3 defeat at Barcelona in a thrilling El Clasico on Sunday left his side on the brink of a trophy-less season.

The 65-year-old Italian, who returned for a second stint at Real in June 2021, led the Spanish giants to two Champions League and La Liga doubles, the latest of which came last season.

He exits Real Madrid as the most successful manager in the club’s history with a total of 15 trophies and the first coach to claim titles in Europe’s top five leagues.

However, this season Real were knocked out of the Champions League in the quarterfinals by Arsenal, and allowed Barca to fight back and win 3-2 in the Copa del Rey final.

Second-placed Real are seven points adrift of Barcelona, who could secure the league title on Wednesday without kicking a ball if Real fail to win at home to Mallorca.

Regardless of Real’s result, a Barca victory in the city derby away to Espanyol on Thursday would clinch the title.

An official announcement regarding a managerial change is expected before Real’s last game of the season at home to Real Sociedad on May 25.

Ancelotti is expected to receive a fitting farewell, recognising his four highly successful years with the club.