Ancelotti in Legal Battle – Faces Madrid Court Over Tax Evasion Charges

Carlo Ancelotti, the Real Madrid manager, appeared before Madrid’s Provincial Court today to defend himself against tax evasion charges dating back to his first spell at the club 2014 - 2015.

The Allegations

According to Spanish prosecutors Ancelotti allegedly evaded total of 1,062,079 euro, split as follows:

• 386,361 euro in 2014
• 675,718 euro in 2015

Authorities have already recovered part of the sum through seizures while Ancelotti also faces additional fines and interest exceeding €290,000.

Ancelotti's Defense

Accompanied by his son Davide (his assistant at Real Madrid) & wife Mariann Barrena, Ancelotti denied any wrongdoing and declared his intention to fight the charges rather than settle with prosecutors.

During 40 minute court session, the Italian coach stated:

"I never intended to cheat the Spanish tax authorities. My financial affairs were handled entirely by my advisors"

He further claimed:

"All I wanted was net salary of 6 million euro over three years. I was never informed of any issue or investigation"

"When Real Madrid proposed transfer of my image rights, I consulted my British advisor and never thought it was illegal"

Prosecution’s Claims

Spanish authorities accuse Ancelotti of using shell companies to hide income from image rights and other sources. Prosecutors are seeking:

• A 5 year prison sentence
• A 3.2 million euro fine

Ancelotti dismissed the significance of image rights for managers, stating:

"Unlike players, coaches don’t sell jerseys. Image rights aren't as important for us"

What’s Next?

The Spanish tax office has already recovered the owed amount but an out of court settlement remains possible.

The court also heard testimonies from Ancelotti’s wife, son and stepdaughter Chloe, with final verdict expected in the coming weeks.

Ancelotti who returned to Real Madrid in 2021, is one of the most successful managers in Champions League history, winning the title 5 times, twice with AC Milan & three time with Los Blancos.

Khaled Hegazy |

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Journaliste sportif spécialisé dans la couverture du football et la création de contenu numérique, alliant expérience éditoriale et expertise des médias sociaux.