April 2 – Carlo Ancelotti is widely considered the best club coach in the history of football. As coach of AC Milan, Chelsea, and now Real Madrid, the Italian has won everything, however, he’s now facing potentially one of his biggest battles as he will have to stand trial on charges of defrauding Spain’s Tax Office to the tune of more than €1 million (£836,857).
Prosecutors are taking an aggressive posture against Ancelotti and are seeking a jail term of four years and nine months for not declaring earnings from image rights in 2014 and 2015.
Ancelotti, 65 is alleged to have used shell companies outside of Spain to create “opacity vis-à-vis the Spanish Treasury concealing the real beneficiary of the income from the exploitation of his image rights”.
The Italian, who is legally a Spanish resident, is said to have only declared his personal earnings from Real and omitted the revenue generated from his image rights. This has resulted in prosecutors presenting a tax bill which totals €1,062,079 from rights generated that earned the most famous arched eyebrow in football €1.24 million in 2014 and €2.96 million in 2015.
Ancelotti has denied the charges saying: “I have total confidence in the law and in justice,” he told reporters last Friday.
“I’m not worried but I am obviously annoyed if they say that I’ve committed fraud, but, once again, I have total confidence in justice. I’m really looking forward to testifying on Wednesday.”
The Real coach is not the first famous figure in football to fall foul of the Spanish tax authorities joining the likes of Diego Costa, Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, and ironically, Jose Mourinho who was given a one-year suspended sentence while also manager of Real Madrid.
In the past, these top figures have escaped custodial sentences by paying large fines and the aforementioned tax bills. One wonders if these superstars of the modern world read the infamous line by the hotelier, Leona Hemsley, who was rumoured to have said: “We don’t pay taxes; only the little people pay taxes.”
Contact the writer of this story, Nick Webster, at moc.l1745524141labto1745524141ofdlr1745524141owedi1745524141sni@o1745524141fni1745524141