Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti to face trial for tax fraud

Carlo Ancelotti, Real Madrid coach, will be tried for alleged crimes relating to tax fraud.

As the Spanish newspaper 'El Mundo' has broken, the Italian coach has been accused of defrauding 386,361 euros by not declaring incoming earnings relating to his image rights. These rights are proprietary rights of an identity, and offer the individual the right to control, license or prevent third parties from making use of attributes related to the player's image.

At that time, Carlos Ancelotti was coaching Real Madrid in his first successful spell, in a season where 'Los Blancos' won their tenth Champions League.

According to 'El Mundo', the magistrate of the Investigating Court number 35 in Madrid, María Inmaculada Lova, has been responsible for carrying out the investigation on the Italian-born coach.

According to the aforementioned media, Carlo Ancelotti would have committed a crime of tax fraud by not declaring 386,361 euros of his earnings relating to money earned from his image rights, corresponding to that first season in charge of the 'Merengues'.

By all accounts, Carlo Ancelotti had declared his salary at Real Madrid, which that year amounted to 5.8 million euros.

In parallel, 'El Mundo' has reported that the Italian coach would have been exonerated of a second tax offense for which he would also have been investigated.

In this case, the investigation focused on the following season in 2015, in which the magistrate found no accounting anomalies.

Carlo Ancelotti had only been aware of the investigation, but would have had to be compliant and confirm all relevant details relating to his finances at the time, 'El Mundo' reported.

The Italian coach, according to 'El Mundo', had received bad tax advice that season and is said to be prepared to own the error in reporting.

These could in all liklihood result in a suspended prison sentence as well as a financial sanction or fine.

Ancelotti is not the first big name in Spanish football to be targeted by tax authorities in recent years.

Former Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo was charged with tax evasion between 2011 and 2014, as reported by Goal.com, and was given a two-year suspended prison sentence.

While former Barcelona superstar and incoming Inter Miami main man, Lionel Messi Lionel Messi was also hit with a suspended 21-month sentence relating to €4.1 million worth of tax fraud between 2007 and 2009.