Spain prosecutors seek jail for Real Madrid coach Ancelotti

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti was ordered to serve four years and nine months in prison by Spanish authorities on Wednesday due to his failure to report his income to the tax office.

The 64-year-old Italian is charged by the Madrid state prosecutor's office with costing Spain's coffers over one million euros in unreported image rights profits in 2014 and 2015.

The tax office stated in a statement that "he only declared in his tax returns the personal remuneration received from Real Madrid, despite having himself declared himself to be a tax resident in Spain and indicating that his home was in Madrid."

It claimed that Ancelotti had established a "confusing" and "complex" network of front businesses to conceal his additional revenue from his image rights.

Additionally, the genuine Madrid coach was accused by the prosecution of "simulating" the transfer of his image rights to non-Spanish-based organisations "without any real activity" in order to preserve his "opacity vis-a-vis" the Spanish government.

Ancelotti, who is considered as one of the best coaches of all time, was ordered by a Spanish court in July to appear in court over the issue; however, a date has not been established.

- Spanish crackdown: Football players Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are among the superstars who have faced harsh penalties from Spain in recent years for underpaying their taxes.

Having been found guilty of tax evasion, both players were spared prison time because they were first-time offenders.

November saw the agreement by Colombian superstar Shakira to pay 7.3 million euros in fines and get a three-year suspended sentence to settle a tax fraud case and avoid trial.
The "Hips Don't Lie" singer was charged by prosecutors with cheating the Spanish government of 14.5 million euros ($15.7 million) on revenue received between 2012 and 2014. Shakira refuted the accusations, claiming she didn't relocate to Spain permanently until 2015.

After taking over at Real Madrid in 2013, Ancelotti departed in May of 2015 and was appointed to Bayern Munich the following year.

Before going back to Real Madrid in 2021, he managed Napoli and Everton in the future.

Instead of coaching Brazil's national team when his Real Madrid contract expired in December, Ancelotti decided to extend it until June 2026.

Four Champions League titles have been won by Ancelotti: two with AC Milan and two with Real Madrid.
He has been a domestic league champion.
Four Champions League titles have been won by Ancelotti: two with AC Milan and two with Real Madrid.
With Madrid, Milan, Chelsea, Bayern Munich, France's Paris Saint-Germain, and England's Chelsea, he has won league titles in his own country.

After Ancelotti's team won 1-0 in Germany, Madrid will play RB Leipzig on Wednesday in their Champions League last-16 second leg match.