Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti has denied intentionally committing tax fraud during his first spell at the club. Prosecutors are seeking a four-year and nine-month jail term for the 65-year-old Italian, accusing him of failing to pay over one million euros in undeclared earnings from image rights in 2014 and 2015.
Ancelotti told the High Court of Justice in Madrid that the payment system, which prosecutors allege was used to hide his extra earnings, was proposed by Real Madrid. “When the club suggests it to me, I put Real Madrid in touch with my advisor. I didn’t deal with it because I had never been paid that way,” he said.
The Italian coach claimed he “never realised that something wasn’t right” and “never considered committing fraud.” He added that “at that time, all the players and coaches were doing it that way; it seemed like the right thing to do.”
Spain has cracked down on top football players who have not paid their dues, with Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo both found guilty of tax evasion. Colombian superstar Shakira also agreed to a three-year suspended sentence and paid 7.3 million euros in fines to settle a tax fraud case.
The trial is expected to last two days, and the parties could reach an out-of-court agreement at any point in the process.