Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti has denied any wrongdoing in his tax fraud trial in Spain.
Prosecutors accuse the 65-year-old of failing to declare over €1 million in image rights earnings between 2014 and 2015 during his first stint at the club. They are seeking a prison sentence of four years and nine months.
In court, Ancelotti insisted he had no intention of committing fraud. He said the payment system in question was suggested by Real Madrid and that similar arrangements were used by other players and coaches, including José Mourinho.
“When the club suggested it, I let my advisor handle it. I had never been paid that way before,” he explained. “I never realized anything was wrong.”
Prosecutors claim Ancelotti used a network of companies to hide his earnings. However, he argued that he was unaware the setup allowed him to pay less tax.
The trial, expected to last two days, could end in an out-of-court settlement at any time. Similar cases in Spain have often resulted in suspended sentences rather than jail time.
Spain has been cracking down on tax fraud in football. Mourinho, Lionel Messi, and Cristiano Ronaldo all faced similar charges in the past, reaching plea deals to avoid prison.
Ancelotti, who first coached Real Madrid in 2013 before leaving in 2015, later managed Bayern Munich, Napoli, and Everton. He returned to Madrid in 2021, winning multiple domestic and international titles.
