Carlo Ancelotti Faces Tax Evasion Trial Amid Real Madrid Success
The most decorated coach in Champions League history confronts legal troubles in Spain as he continues to lead Real Madrid’s charge for more titles.
Watan-Italian manager Carlo Ancelotti is no stranger to major challenges. He has thrived in them, becoming the most decorated coach in UEFA Champions League history and the only one to win league titles in all five of Europe’s top domestic leagues. Known as “Mister Champions,” the Real Madrid boss now faces a very different kind of test—appearing in court on charges of tax evasion.
“Don Carletto” awaits a verdict from Spain’s Supreme Court this Wednesday and Thursday, with the prosecution seeking a prison sentence of four years and nine months. He is accused of evading more than one million euros in taxes for the years 2014 and 2015, specifically relating to undeclared earnings from image rights—despite having declared himself a tax resident in Spain.
The 65-year-old Italian coach is required to attend the trial and stated last week that he is not afraid to testify in court. “I have to testify, and I will… I fully trust the law and justice. I’m not worried. I don’t like being accused of fraud, but I will go and clarify things, hoping it all goes well,” he said.
Ancelotti Calm Under Pressure, Even Off the Pitch
Similar cases involving football players and coaches in the past have often resulted in suspended sentences.
A judge overseeing the investigation noted that Ancelotti had “acknowledged” the actions that deprived the Spanish treasury of funds, according to a 2023 court document reviewed by AFP. This could potentially open the door for a last-minute settlement to avoid trial and prison.
Ancelotti—who became the first manager to win the FIFA Club World Cup three times, the UEFA Super Cup five times, and reach six Champions League finals—is no stranger to pressure. He is also among only seven people to have won the Champions League both as a player (1989, 1990) and coach.
The man who led Real Madrid to three of their 15 Champions League titles (2014, 2022, 2024) rarely appears flustered. Yet he admitted to feeling nervous in the hours before a Champions League final. “Before I speak to the team (in the locker room before the match), my heart rate starts rising. It reaches 110 or 120 beats per minute,” he said last year. “But once it starts, the heart rate returns to normal.”
“A Fat, Friendly Bear”
Ancelotti had brief spells managing Reggiana, Parma, and Juventus before joining AC Milan in 2001. There, he became the club’s longest-serving coach, winning the league, two Champions League titles, a Club World Cup, and both the domestic cup and Super Cup.
Legendary defender Paolo Maldini, who spent five seasons as Ancelotti’s teammate at Milan and eight more under his coaching, once said, “Carlo never gets angry.”
In 2009, Ancelotti took over at Chelsea and led them to a domestic double, becoming the first team in Premier League history to score over 100 goals in a season. He later won the French league title with Paris Saint-Germain in 2013 before joining Real Madrid that summer.
Ancelotti’s Second Act at Real Madrid Shines Despite Off-Field Turmoil
At Real Madrid, Ancelotti mended the tensions left by former coach José Mourinho and quickly won the players’ affection—including that of Cristiano Ronaldo—leading the club to their long-awaited 10th Champions League title (“La Décima”).
He was dismissed by club president Florentino Pérez the following year, then moved to Bayern Munich, where he won the Bundesliga in 2017. However, he was sacked early in his second season amid reports of losing the dressing room—a rare setback in a career known for strong relationships with players. Maldini once described him as “a fat, friendly bear who doesn’t know how to get angry.”
Ancelotti later managed Napoli and Everton before his unexpected return to Real Madrid—a move even he didn’t anticipate.
In a 2021 phone call with Florentino Pérez to discuss potential signings for Everton, Ancelotti asked whether Real had found a replacement for Zinedine Zidane, who had resigned. Reminding Pérez of the 10th Champions League title helped pave the way for his return to the Santiago Bernabéu.
In his second stint with Real, Ancelotti has added two more Champions League titles, as well as domestic league and cup titles, UEFA Super Cups, the 2022 Club World Cup, and the 2014 Intercontinental Cup.
Real Madrid is once again chasing trophies this season, as Ancelotti works hard to leave his legal troubles behind and focus fully on football and results.
