Ancelotti to stand trial next week over alleged tax fraud

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti is set to go on trial next week for allegedly failing to declare income to Spain's tax authorities, the Madrid court handling the case confirmed on 29 March.

Spanish prosecutors are seeking a prison sentence of four years and nine months for the 65-year-old Italian, accusing him of costing the Spanish treasury over one million euros in undeclared earnings from image rights in 2014 and 2015.

The trial is scheduled to begin on 3 April and is expected to last two days. Ancelotti must be present for the hearings, the court spokesman stated.

Prosecutors claim Ancelotti only declared his salary from Real Madrid while residing in Spain and listing Madrid as his official residence. However, they allege he used a "confusing" and "complex" network of shell companies to conceal additional income from image rights and other sources, including real estate.

According to the prosecution, Ancelotti earned 1.24 million euros in 2014 from image rights sales and 2.96 million euros in 2015. A Spanish court initially ordered the trial in 2023, but a date had not been set until now.

Ancelotti previously dismissed the case as "an old story that I hope will be resolved soon" when questioned about it last year.

The Italian first took charge of Real Madrid in 2013 before departing in May 2015. He later managed Bayern Munich, Napoli, and Everton before returning to Madrid in 2021.

Spanish authorities have intensified efforts in recent years to prosecute tax fraud involving high-profile footballers and celebrities.

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo were both convicted of tax evasion, though their sentences were waived as first-time offences. Former Real Madrid coach José Mourinho received a one-year suspended sentence in 2019 after pleading guilty to tax fraud.

In 2023, Colombian singer Shakira agreed to a three-year suspended sentence and paid 7.3 million euros in fines to settle her tax fraud case, avoiding trial. Prosecutors had accused her of defrauding Spain of 14.5 million euros between 2012 and 2014, though she maintained she only became a full-time resident in 2015.

Ancelotti, one of the most successful managers in football history, has won five Champions League titles as a coach, including three with Real Madrid. He has also secured domestic league titles in Spain, Italy, England, Germany, and France.