Brazil boss Carlo Ancelotti has been handed a one-year prison sentence for tax fraud during his time as manager of Real Madrid.
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Ancelotti found guilty of tax fraudHanded prison sentence and hefty fineItalian has just taken charge of Brazil teamFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Ancelotti was accused of defrauding the public treasury in 2014 and 2015 when he was Real Madrid manager for the first time. At the trial, the Italian told the court it was not his intention to defraud the treasury by concealing income relating to his image rights and that he simply did as he was told by the club, according to EFE. A verdict has now been reached, with Ancelotti handed a prison sentence and a fine of €386,361. He was acquitted of tax offenses for 2015.
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Ancelotti may have been sentenced but he is not expected to serve any jail time. According to Reuters, defendants are rarely required to serve sentences under two years for a non-violent crime in Spanish law. Yet he will have to pay his hefty fine of €386,361.
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Ancelotti pleaded not guilty at his trial in April, while prosecutors had initially requested a four-year and nine-month prison sentence for Ancelotti.
He is not the first high-profile football star to be found guilty of tax fraud in Spain. Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo both had issues during their time playing in La Liga with Barcelona and Real Madrid.
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The 66-year-old was announced as the new boss of Brazil after leaving Real Madrid at the end of the season and is currently concentrating on qualifying for World Cup 2026. Brazil are back in action in September, with qualifiers against Chile and Bolivia.