Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has been pictured in court in the Spanish capital for the opening of his trial on tax evasion charges.
Ancelotti, 65, arrived at the Provincial Court of Madrid on Wednesday morning before taking his seat in the dock.
The Italian is accused of deliberately misinforming the tax office during his first spell in charge of the Spanish giants between 2014 and 2015 to avoid paying more than €1m (£833,000) in income tax.
When asked about his income from the transfer of his image rights to Real Madrid, Marca report he said: ‘I was only concerned with collecting six million net for three years, and I never realized anything was wrong , and I never received any communication that the Prosecutor’s Office was investigating me.
‘When Real Madrid proposed this to me—referring to the transfer of image rights— I contacted my English advisor and never went into the matter because everything seemed correct to me. I didn’t think it could be fraud, although if I’m here, I believe things weren’t so correct.’
Ancelotti denies any wrongdoing and has vowed to fight the charges. His appearance in court came just hours after Real Madrid’s thrilling aggregate victory over Real Sociedad in the Copa del Rey.
Carlo Ancelotti is standing trial over alleged tax fraud. He was pictured in court on Wednesday
The 65-year-old, who denies the charges, pictured arriving at the Provincial Court of Madrid
The Italian manager has previously admitted to underpaying tax in 2014, but blamed this on mistakes made by his accountants.
He insists he did not break any laws in 2015 as he did not spend the 183 days in Spain needed to pay tax.
But prosecutors claim Ancelotti’s main source of income during this period was from Real as he did not take charge of Bayern Munich until 2016.
According to Sport, prosecutors have called for Ancelotti to be jailed for four years if he is found guilty of the charges brought against him.
Ancelotti has previously addressed his case, stating he is ‘convinced I’m innocent’.
‘This is an old story,’ he told reporters. ‘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.’