Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti faces almost five years in prison

Spanish prosecutors on Wednesday requested almost five years in prison for Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti. According to the authorities, the Italian committed a tax crime ten years ago by concealing from the fiscal authorities the income he received from the sale of image rights. This is not the first time football stars have been accused of such violations. Previously, many players who played in the Spanish championship faced the same claims, including two living legends of football – Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. In all cases, the matter did not lead to actual imprisonment. The defendants got off with suspended sentences and fines.

The Spanish prosecutor’s office has outlined its position in the investigation, which involves the famous Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti, the only specialist in the world who won the Champions League four times (twice with Milan and twice with Real Madrid). Prosecutors said Wednesday they would seek four years and nine months in prison for Ancelotti, 64.

Mr. Ancelotti’s current job is as head coach of Real Madrid. He has been leading the team since 2021, but the authorities’ claims relate to events ten years ago.

The fact is that before joining Real three years ago, Carlo Ancelotti was already the coach of Madrid – in 2013-2015. The prosecutor’s office believes that he hid part of the income he received in 2014 and 2015 from the fiscal authorities. We are talking about €1 million.

It is alleged that Carlo Ancelotti, who registered as a tax resident of Spain, reported in his tax returns only the funds he earned in the form of salary and bonuses directly from Real Madrid. At the same time, using a network of shell companies that did not carry out any commercial activities, he concealed proceeds from the sale of image rights. Essentially, we are talking about revenue from advertising contracts. Let us recall that back in July, a Spanish court ruled that Carlo Ancelotti would have to go through a trial, but the date for the start of consideration of his case on the merits has still not been set.

Despite the apparent seriousness of the charges brought against Mr. Ancelotti, the maximum that he faces, as recent similar stories have shown, is certain financial losses.

Spanish authorities have long been struggling with the practice of those working in the Spanish sports industry who transfer their advertising revenues offshore.

Among them are living legends of world football – Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Both were accused of concealing from taxation much larger sums than in the case of Mr. Ancelotti. But in 2018, Cristiano Ronaldo, accused of underpaying €5.7 million to the Spanish treasury (the Portuguese played for Real Madrid from 2009 to 2018), reached an agreement with the Spanish authorities. According to him, he paid a total of about €19 million in fines and arrears, and was also sentenced to two years of suspended imprisonment. Messi found himself in a similar situation, having spent almost his entire career at Barcelona. He voluntarily paid all the debts plus a fine (totaling about €10 million), went to trial and received a suspended 21-month prison sentence. The Spanish court has no real grounds to treat Carlo Ancelotti differently than players previously convicted in the same cases.

Alexander Petrov