Carlo Ancelotti, coach of Real Madrid

Ancelotti is among several high-profile football rates investigated by Spanish tax authorities for alleged tax fraud. Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti testified in a Spanish court on Wednesday, demanding that he believe his tax matters are in order amid the allegations that he did not pay € 1 million ($ 1.08 million) to tax on strikes. “For me, everything was in order,” Ancelotti said in court. “I never thought about committing fraud.” According to CNN, the Italian coach appeared on the first day of the hearing and explained that when he joined Real Madrid, he offered a net salary of € 6 million. He said he left the structuring of his remuneration to the club and his British adviser. “I thought it was perfectly normal because all the players and the previous coach did the same,” Ancelotti added during his 40 -minute testimony. Ancelotti is among several high-profile football rates investigated by Spanish tax authorities for alleged tax fraud. While some, such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Diego Costa, have completed their business with great fines, others, including Bayer Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso, have chosen to dispute the allegations in court. Alonso was acquitted, and the Spain High Court confirmed the decision in 2023. Prosecutors are looking for a four -year, nine -month imprisonment for Ancelotti, along with a fine of € 3.2 million ($ 3.5 million), accusing him of not reporting the income of the completion of the 2014 and 2015 tax returns. Ancelotti has defended himself by arguing that image rights have less importance to coaches than for players. “For coaches, image rights do not mean the same as for players because they do not sell shirts,” he said. Prosecutors also noted that the Spanish tax authorities had already seized the alleged amount plus interest. The case remains open to an out-of-court settlement, and a verdict is expected in the coming weeks. Ancelotti’s wife, Mariann, his son, Davide, and his stepdaughter, Chloe, also testified in court on Wednesday. Ancelotti, a former Italian international with 26 caps, played in the 1990 World Cup before heading to coaching. He returned to Real Madrid for a second game in 2021 and won the UEFA Champions League five times as manager – Twice with AC Milan and three times with Real Madrid.