A Spanish court sentenced on Wednesday (9) the coach of the Brazilian team, Carlo Ancelotti, a year in prison for not paying taxes on image rights revenues during his first passage through Real Madrid.
According to a statement from the Madrid Court, the decision refers to 2014. Because it is less than two years and related to a non-violent crime, the sentence should not oblige Ancelotti to serve the sentence within the prison.
The Italian was still acquitted of a similar prosecution for 2015, as the court failed to prove that he had remained enough time in Spain to incur tax obligations, according to the agency. He moved to London after Real Madrid fired him in May 2015.
The Spain Public Prosecution Service asked for four years and nine months in prison for the coach on charges that he would have framed over one million euros (R $ 6.4 million) in image rights in 2014 and 2015, during his first spell at the Spanish club.
According to the Spanish tax administration, Ancelotti declared his revenues as Real Madrid technician in both years, but not from image rights and other sources, such as some real estate properties.
In an April hearing, the Italian defended himself on the grounds that he was unaware of being doing something wrong or that the company created to tax image rights allowed him to pay less taxes.
“At that moment all players and coaches had, it seemed to me a correct thing,” said Ancelotti, who added that he would have left Real Madrid the proposal to receive 15% of the agreed value – 6 million euros ($ 38 million) for four years of contract – in imaging rights.
“When Madrid suggests this to me, I put Real Madrid in contact with my English advisor. I never come in it because I had never received that way,” said the then merengue club coach, who has not yet commented after the conviction was released.
Ancelotti was presented as new coach of Brazil at the end of May this year after a long soap opera for his hiring. After a 0-0 debut against Ecuador, the new command stamped the national team’s classification of the 2026 World Cup by beating Paraguay 1-0 in São Paulo.
