Ancelotti Denies Fraud Allegations in Spanish Court

Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti appeared in a Spanish court to contest tax evasion allegations centered around his salary and image rights.

Real Madrid’s head coach Carlo Ancelotti expressed his innocence in front of the Provincial Court of Madrid regarding tax evasion charges aimed at him during his first managerial term from 2013 to 2015. The Italian manager, currently in his second tenure since 2021, finds himself facing accusations of neglecting to declare income from image rights, resulting in a tax bill amounting to 1 million euros (£830,000). Prosecutors are pressing for a substantial prison sentence of four years and nine months along with a financial penalty of 3.2 million euros (£2.7m).

During his testimony, Ancelotti stated firmly, “I never thought about committing fraud,” and insisted that he believed everything to be in order. He described being offered a net salary of 6 million euros (£5.1m) from Real Madrid, yet emphasized that he relied on financial advisors to manage the nuances of his tax affairs. “For me, it seemed normal because many players and the previous coach had similar arrangements,” he noted.

Ancelotti rationalized his actions by stating that for coaches, image rights do not hold the same significance as they do for players, as coaches do not typically engage in merchandise sales. His case is amidst a backdrop of high-profile tax evasion scandals in Spanish football, with notable figures like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo also penalized for similar issues in the past.