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Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti, renowned for his illustrious career in football management, faces legal trouble as Spanish prosecutors have called for his imprisonment for a period of four years and nine months. The prosecutors allege that Ancelotti, currently serving as the coach of Real Madrid, failed to declare his earnings to the Spanish tax authorities, resulting in substantial losses to the national treasury.
The accusations leveled against Ancelotti primarily revolve around his purported failure to disclose earnings derived from image rights during the years 2014 and 2015. The Madrid state prosecutor’s office claims that the 64-year-old coach concealed over one million euros in income from image rights, significantly impacting tax revenues.
According to statements from the tax office, Ancelotti, despite declaring himself a tax resident in Spain and listing Madrid as his place of residence, only reported his personal remuneration from Real Madrid in his tax declarations. Prosecutors assert that Ancelotti established a complex network of shell companies to obscure his additional earnings from image rights and other sources, including real estate transactions.
Furthermore, prosecutors allege that Ancelotti engaged in the simulation of transfers of his image rights to entities with no substantial activity, based outside of Spain. This purportedly served to maintain opacity and evade scrutiny from the Spanish tax authorities. Ancelotti reportedly earned 1.24 million euros in 2014 and 2.96 million euros in 2015 from the sale of his image rights, according to prosecutors’ claims.
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While a Spanish court had previously ordered Ancelotti to stand trial over these allegations, a date for the trial has yet to be set. However, there is speculation that Ancelotti may seek to reach an agreement with prosecutors to settle the case without undergoing a trial and potentially avoid imprisonment, based on acknowledgments he made in court documents from 2023.
In response to questions from reporters, Ancelotti expressed confidence and stated that he hopes for a swift resolution to the matter. He emphasized his calm demeanor and indicated that he does not foresee any significant problems arising from the legal proceedings.
Ancelotti’s situation is not unique in Spain, as the country has undertaken efforts to combat tax evasion among high-profile individuals, including football players and celebrities. Notable figures such as Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Jose Mourinho have faced legal scrutiny and, in some cases, received suspended prison sentences for tax-related offenses.
Despite the legal challenges, Ancelotti continues to enjoy a distinguished career in football management, having achieved numerous successes, including multiple Champions League titles and domestic league victories across Europe.
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