Carlo Ancelotti Faces 5-Year Prison Sentence Over Alleged Fraud

Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti, while his side are hunting for additional silverware this season, has been pictured in a Madrid-based court – and reports have suggested that the Italian tactician “never thought about committing fraud”.

Widely regarded as one of the best football managers of all time, Ancelotti’s first spell in charge of the Spanish behemoths came between July 2013 and June 2015 – when he accrued a 2.36 points per game rate across 119 games in charge.

He then returned to the Santiago Bernabeu dugout in July 2021 and has, as a result, enjoyed plenty of memorable moments, including winning two Champions League crowns in 2021/22 and 2023/24 – but he is still in hot water after his first foray in Spain.

In December, Ancelotti became the most decorated manager in Real Madrid history as he claimed his 15th trophy – the inaugural FIFA Intercontinental Cup.

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Accused of deliberately misinforming the tax office during his first stint at Los Blancos, the 65-year-old allegedly failed to pay €1 million (£830,000) in taxes and prosecutors, according to reports, are seeking a prison sentence of four years and nine months alongside a fine of €3.2 million (£2.7m).

What’s more, the former Chelsea and AC Milan chief has been taken to court for omitting incoming from his image rights. Per Marca, via Mail Online, when asked about his income from the transfer of his image rights to the record Champions League winners, he said:

“I was only concerned with collecting six million net for three years, and I never realized anything was wrong, and I never received any communication that the Prosecutor’s Office was investigating me.

“When Real Madrid proposed this to me—referring to the transfer of image rights— I contacted my English advisor and never went into the matter because everything seemed correct to me,” Ancelotti continued before adding: “I didn’t think it could be fraud, although if I’m here, I believe things weren’t so correct.”

Ancelotti, as expected, is continuing to deny any wrongdoing in terms of his case – and, as such, has vowed to fight against the charges. His appearance at the Provincial Court of Madrid came just hours after his side secured passage into the Copa del Rey final.

Previoulsly, the seasoned manager admitted to underpaying his tax bill in 2014 but was quick to shift the blame onto his accountants, though he remains insistent that he did not break any laws in 2015 as he did not spend 183 days – which is the minimal number of days needed to pay tax in Spain.

That said, according to the reports, prosecutors suggest that Ancelotti’s primary source of earnings during this time period was from the La Liga side, given that he did not take charge of Bayern Munich until the summer of 2026.