Football/Spain : Coach Carlo Ancelotti accused of tax fraud ahead of crucial champions league match
The public prosecutor’s office in the Madrid region has accused Carlo Ancelotti, the coach of the Merengue club, Real Madrid, of defrauding the Spanish treasury by failing to declare his income from image rights for the years 2014 and 2015, amounting to over one million euros. In accordance with judicial practices in Spain, the public prosecutor’s office has made its requisitions even before the trial begins.
According to a court document from 2023, Carlo Ancelotti admitted to the facts during the investigation, which could open the possibility of a settlement with the public prosecutor’s office, thereby avoiding a prison sentence.
This announcement came shortly before the second leg of the Champions League round of 16, where Real Madrid faced RB Leipzig at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium. Despite these troubles, the Madrid side, who have already won the competition 14 times, won the first leg in Germany 1-0.
After a three-year investigation, a court in the Madrid region announced in the summer of 2023 that Carlo Ancelotti would be brought to trial. The public prosecutor’s office indicated on Wednesday, March 6, 2024, that the trial date had not yet been determined.
At 64 years old, Carlo Ancelotti previously coached Real Madrid from 2013 to 2015 before returning to the Madrid bench in 2021 for an initial three-year contract. Although he was initially expected to become the coach of Brazil at the end of his contract in June 2024, Carlo Ancelotti eventually extended his contract with the Madrid club until June 2026.
