Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti could face up to four years and nine months behind bars if Spanish prosecutors succeed in their case against him. The allegations concern unpaid taxes linked to image rights earnings during his initial term with the club over a decade ago. Authorities claim the income was concealed through offshore structures, avoiding proper declaration in Spain.
In addition to the prison sentence, prosecutors are seeking a financial penalty of €3.2 million. The court case is currently being heard in Madrid, with Ancelotti denying any intentional wrongdoing.
Coach claims no intent to defraud
Ancelotti has argued that his focus at the time was on securing a net salary, not on the structure of his image rights agreements. He accepted Real Madrid’s proposal for 15% of his earnings to come from image rights, describing it as a standard practice at the club. According to him, similar arrangements were in place for both players and former coach José Mourinho.
The Italian coach stated that he delegated the matter to a financial adviser based in the UK and assumed everything had been handled appropriately. The court heard that Ancelotti only declared his direct salary from Real Madrid, omitting €4.2 million earned from image rights in 2014 and 2015.
Speaking in court, the 65-year-old expressed surprise over the legal proceedings, explaining that he had never been notified of any tax investigation prior to the case. He maintained that he had no reason to believe any wrongdoing had occurred.
High-profile cases set precedent
Spain’s tax authority has previously pursued several football stars over similar accusations. Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo both faced charges in the past, resulting in suspended prison terms of less than two years. These sentences were not served in custody, as Spanish law typically does not enforce jail time for first-time non-violent offenders with sentences under 24 months.
In those cases, the original punishment requested by prosecutors was more severe than what was ultimately handed down by the courts. As a result, even if Ancelotti is found guilty, it remains unlikely he would actually serve time behind bars.
