Spain prosecutor seeks jail for Ancelotti over US$1.1 million in unpaid taxes

MADRID: A Spanish prosecutor is seeking a prison term of four years and nine months for soccer coach Carlo Ancelotti who is accused of avoiding €1 million (US$1.1 million) in taxes on image rights revenues while he was at Real Madrid in 2014 and 2015.

The prosecutor said in a statement on Wednesday that although the Italian was a resident in Spain for tax purposes at the time and filed his tax returns there, he had omitted the income earned through his image rights.

Ancelotti, who returned as Real Madrid coach in 2021, did not immediately reply to a request for comment made through Real Madrid.

The prosecutor accused Ancelotti of pretending to transfer his image rights to entities lacking real activity outside Spain to avoid paying taxes.

Spanish authorities have pursued other celebrities over suspected tax evasion, including players such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Diego Costa. All settled and paid large fines.