Ancelotti to Face Trial for Alleged Tax Fraud

Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti is set to stand trial next week over allegations of tax evasion, a Madrid court confirmed on Friday.

The 65-year-old Italian coach is accused of failing to declare income from image rights, allegedly costing Spain’s treasury over €1 million ($1.1 million) in 2014 and 2015. Prosecutors are seeking a prison sentence of four years and nine months, claiming Ancelotti concealed earnings from his image rights while managing Real Madrid.

According to court officials, the trial will begin on Wednesday and last for two days. Ancelotti, who holds a record five Champions League titles as a coach—including three with Real Madrid—must be physically present for the hearings.

Prosecutors argue that although Ancelotti declared himself a tax resident in Spain during his time at Real Madrid, he only reported his club salary while allegedly using a network of shell companies to obscure additional earnings from image rights and real estate. Reports state he earned €1.24 million from image rights in 2014 and €2.96 million in 2015.

A Spanish court initially ordered Ancelotti to stand trial in 2023, but a trial date had not been set until now. Last year, Ancelotti dismissed the case as “an old story” that he hoped would be resolved soon.

Spain’s Crackdown on Tax Evasion

Ancelotti first joined Real Madrid in 2013, leaving in 2015 before later coaching Bayern Munich, Napoli, and Everton. He returned to Real Madrid in 2021 and has won domestic league titles in Spain, Italy, England, Germany, and France.

Spain has intensified efforts in recent years to hold top football figures accountable for tax evasion. Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo were both found guilty of tax fraud but avoided prison as first-time offenders. Former Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho received a one-year suspended sentence in 2019 after pleading guilty to tax fraud.

Beyond football, Colombian singer Shakira settled her tax fraud case in 2023, accepting a three-year suspended sentence and paying €7.3 million in fines to avoid trial. Prosecutors had accused her of evading €14.5 million in taxes between 2012 and 2014, a claim she had denied, stating she only became a full-time Spanish resident in 2015.