Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti risks up to almost five years in prison if Spanish prosecutors manage to make their way, because he faces allegations of tax fraud before a court of the Spanish capital.
The accusations concern the payments of the rights of the image during his first fate in the Bernabeu a decade ago, which, according to the tax authorities, were hidden in the strangulation societies abroad. The prosecutors asked for a four -year and nine month prison sentence, as well as a fine of 3.2 million euros, if Ancelotti is found guilty.
Ancelotti argued that, having mainly been anxious to ensure a particular salary, he considered it “quite normal” when Madrid proposed to pay 15% of the rights of the image. He said it was also the case for players and former coach Jose Mourinho – his predecessor was sentenced to a suspended prison sentence and a fine of 2.2 million euros in 2019 after admitting tax fraud.
Ancelotti insisted that he transmitted the question to an adviser in Great Britain and thought nothing more. It is alleged that as a Spanish resident, he only declared the personal profits of Real Madrid and not the 4.2 million euros in the sale of image rights in 2014 and 2015.
“I have never been disturbed by image rights. I was only disturbed to obtain the net of 6 million euros for three years and I never realized that something was not correct and that I received no notification that I was the subject of a survey by tax prosecutors,” the court told 65 years.
“I thought it was quite normal. I contacted my British advisor and I was no longer thinking about it because everything seemed right. I never thought that fraud could have been engaged. But, since I am here, I guess that things were not well done.”
Even if it is found guilty, the probability that Encelotti is serving a prison sentence still seems low.
The tax authority of Spain has repeatedly obtained convictions against high -level football stars in recent years – notably Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in 2016 and 2019 respectively.
The two were sentenced to suspended prison sentences between 21 and 23 months, the Spanish judicial system does not oblige these convictions under two years of age. In each case, the penalty requested was longer than what was finally adopted.
