Carlo Ancelotti, the current coach of Real Madrid, will face trial for tax fraud after allegedly failing to declare earnings from image rights in 2014 to the Spanish tax office, according to a court document seen by AFP.
A Spanish judge stated that Ancelotti had “acknowledged” the actions that resulted in a loss of approximately Sh 60.4 million ($428,000) to the country’s treasury.
The judge’s findings deemed that there were sufficient indications to consider the investigated actions as a potential offence against the public treasury.
The accusations by the Spanish tax office assert that Ancelotti declared his earnings as Real Madrid coach for the 2014 tax year but omitted earnings from image rights and other related income.
The court dismissed a similar complaint regarding Ancelotti’s 2015 tax return, which he filed while being a tax resident in the United Kingdom.
Ancelotti, 64, initially took charge of Real Madrid in 2013, departing in May 2015, before subsequently managing Bayern Munich and later Napoli and Everton. He returned to Real Madrid in 2021 with one year remaining on his contract.
Earlier in July, it was announced that Ancelotti had agreed to become the coach of the Brazil national team starting in June 2024, as stated by the country’s football federation.
