Real Madrid's Carlo Ancelotti faces up to four years in prison for tax evasion

The Italian coach is set to appear before the court for his trial date.

Carlo Ancelotti, the manager of Real Madrid, might be imprisoned for up to four years once the Spanish courts hear his tax fraud case.

Ancelotti is accused of purposefully lying to the tax office to evade paying more than €1 million in income taxes. According to reports, the alleged offences occurred between 2014 and 2015, when he was managing Real Madrid for the first time. He led the team to win the UEFA Champions League in that period.

The 65-year-old will contest the charges and denies any misconduct. Although he acknowledges that he underpaid taxes in 2014, he argues that his accountants’ negligence was to blame. Ancelotti claims that because he did not spend the 183 days in Spain that were necessary to pay taxes, he did not break any rules the following year.

Since he didn’t take over at Bayern Munich until 2016, according to the prosecution, his primary source of income at that time was money obtained from Real Madrid.

According to Sport, those presenting the case against Ancelotti have asked for a four-year prison term in the event that the seasoned coach is convicted.

Regarding the issue, Ancelotti has already stated:  “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.”

April 2 has been established as the trial date, the day after Real Madrid’s match against Real Sociedad in the second leg of their Copa del Rey semifinal.

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are among the many well-known individuals who have been accused of tax evasion in Spain, and Ancelotti is the most recent.

World Cup winner Xabi Alonso successfully argued his case and was found not guilty. Similarly, many settlements have typically been struck without the need for jail time.

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