The sentencing of Brazilian national team head coach, Carlo Ancelotti, to one year of imprisonment has sparked concerns among football fans and officials about his potential jail term.
The Madrid court imposed a one-year jail term and a €386,000 ($375,000) fine on Ancelotti for failing to pay taxes on his image rights revenue during his time as Real Madrid manager in 2014, according to the court’s statement.
Prior to the ruling, prosecutors had sought a four-year and nine-month prison sentence along with a €3.2 million fine, but the court did not grant this.
Following the announcement of the verdict on July 9, 2025, Ancelotti has yet to respond publicly, as he is currently preparing the Selecao for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
What does Spanish law say about this sentence?
Spanish law states that any sentence under two years for a non-violent crime rarely requires a defendant without previous convictions to serve jail time.
A suspended sentence is a prison sentence that is not implemented as long as the offender refrains from committing another offense.
This seems to have played a significant role in limiting the use of prison sentences in many jurisdictions.
In criminal law, a suspended sentence is an alternative to imprisonment where a judge may partially or entirely suspend the convicted individual’s prison or jail sentence as long as they fulfil certain conditions.
In this case, the former Real Madrid coach’s prison sentence could be substituted for a large fine to make up for the sanction.
What happened to other players with similar charges?
Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo cut a deal with Madrid court over tax evasion charges, accepting an €18.8 million (£16.6 million) fine in 2019.
The deal, agreed upon in advance, includes a 23-month jail sentence. However, in Spain, convicts usually do not serve time for sentences under two years.
Given the non-violent nature of Ronaldo’s offense, he did not spend any time in jail, serving it on probation instead.
Lionel Messi
Former Barcelona star Lionel Messi was handed a 21-month sentence and paid back approximately €17 million in back taxes in his settlement.
Diego Costa
Former Atletico Madrid forward Diego Costa was handed a six-month prison sentence and a €543,208 fine for tax fraud.
Costa, pleaded guilty in a Madrid court to evading €1.1 million in taxes on his image rights.
He paid tax authorities the outstanding amount in full and pay the €543,208 penalty on top of that.
The ex-Chelsea player’s prison sentence was replaced by an additional fine, as is customary in Spain for jail terms of under two years.
SB/EB
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