MADRID: Former Chelsea and Real Madrid defender Ricardo Carvalho has been convicted of tax fraud in Spain.
Although he will not have to spend any time in jail, the 39-year-old Carvalho was sentenced to seven months in prison and fined almost 143,000 euros ($168,000) for irregularities committed against tax authorities in the fiscal years of 2011 and 2012.
The Spanish court says Carvalho admitted to the irregularities during the trial. He will not have to go to prison because sentences of less than two years for first-time offenders can be suspended.
The veteran Portugal defender moved from Chelsea to Real Madrid in 2010. He played with the Spanish club until 2013.
Carvalho is currently with Chinese club Shanghai SIPG.