Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti facing five years in prison over tax fraud
The prosecutor's office in Spain has sought a five-year jail sentence for Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti for allegedly failing to declare earnings to the tax office.
Ancelotti, one of the most revered coaches in the modern game is facing two charges of having defrauded the Treasury of over $1 million between 2014 and 2015 during his first stint as the Real Madrid boss.
«Although he himself declared himself to be a tax resident in Spain and indicated that his home was in Madrid, he only declared in his tax returns the personal remuneration received from Real Madrid,» the tax office said in a statement.
The prosecutors have alleged that Ancelotti set up a «confusing» system of shell companies to hide his extra earnings, received from his image rights.
Notably, a Spanish court in July last year had ordered Ancelotti to stand trial over the case but no date has been set so far.
«It is evident that there are sufficient indications to consider the deeds under investigation could constitute an alleged offence against the public treasury,» said the judge in her findings," the judge said at the time.
Also read | Veteran manager Carlo Ancelotti extends Real Madrid contract until 2026: Club
Spain's strict stance on tax fraud
In recent years, Spain has cracked down on top footballers who have evaded their tax duties. Former Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho had received a one-year suspended sentence after filing a guilty plea for tax fraud in 2019.
Similarly, ex-Barcelona star Lionel Messi and Al-Nassr player Cristiano Ronaldo have also been found guilty of tax fraud in the European nation.
Ancelotti coached the Los Blancos between 2013 and 2015 before being appointed at Bayern Munich the following year. After short
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