Carlo Ancelotti maintains that he was not domiciled in Spain during the year 2015 and has duly settled a penalty, affirming his conviction of innocence. This statement comes in response to the Madrid prosecutor’s petition for a sentence of four years and nine months in prison for the Italian coach on charges of tax evasion.
Ancelotti addressed this issue publicly for the first time following a 1-1 draw against RB Leipzig in the Champions League yesterday, a result that secured Real Madrid’s advancement to the quarter-finals.
“The tax authority says that I was a resident at the time and I don’t think that I was a resident,” Ancelotti told reporters after the game, as quoted by AP.
“I already paid the fine, the money is with them, and now the lawyers are talking to try to find a solution. I’m convinced that I’m innocent, that I was not a resident in 2015, and they think that I was a resident. Let’s see what the judge says.”
According to reports, allegations of tax evasion against Ancelotti pertain to the years 2013 and 2014, coinciding with his initial tenure as manager of Real Madrid. The football club, a prominent entity in La Liga, has not issued an official statement addressing this matter.
This marks Ancelotti’s second stint in Madrid, having first joined the club in 2013 and concluding his tenure in 2015. He returned to the Spanish capital in 2021 and has recently extended his contract with Real Madrid until June 2026.
With four Champions League titles to his name as a coach, Ancelotti holds the record for the most victories in the tournament among tacticians. Additionally, he remains the sole manager to have secured domestic league titles in each of Europe’s top five football leagues.