Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti to sit trial for fraud charges

Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti will sit trial next week on charges of fraud, with the public prosecutor alleging that he avoided taxes to the tune of more than a million euros. The Italian manager has denied any wrongdoing, and is expected to fight the alleged charges.

The prosecution have argued that Ancelotti deliberately misinformed the tax office in order to avoid paying a total of €1.062m in income tax in 2014 and 2015, as per Sport. The prosecution have requested a sentence of four years in prison. Ancelotti has admitted to paying insufficient taxes in 2014, but on account of malpractice from his accountants, but has denied any wrongdoing in 2015, claiming that he was not in Spain for the required 183 days of the year in order to pay tax in Spain.

However the case against him assures that as he did not obtain income for his work as a manager from any other club until 2016, when he joined Bayern Munich, making his main source of income from Real Madrid.

“This is an old story. The Prosecutor’s Office believes I was a resident in 2015, and I believe I wasn’t. The fine has been paid, and the case is in the hands of my lawyers. I’m convinced I’m innocent. Let’s see what the judge decides,” Ancelotti has commented previously.

The trial date is set for Wednesday the second of April, the day after Ancelotti will direct Real Madrid in the return leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final against Real Sociedad. It is hardly ideal preparation for Ancelotti, although he appears to be relaxed about the matter. This is the latest in a number of high-profile tax cases pursued by the Spanish tax office, including against Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. In the majority of cases, the tax office have reached a settlement, with none of them facing jail time – although Xabi Alonso did fight the conviction and was acquitted of any wrongdoing.