Carlo Ancelotti, Samuel Eto’o and Dani Alves named as tax cheats by the Spanish authorities

Three football stars have the Spanish tax authorities on their case, with Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti and Barcelona legends Dani Alves and Samuel Eto’o owing more than £3million combined.

Spain’s annual list of defaulters withholding more than €600,000 (£505,000) of government money includes 7,277 taxpayers, who are a collective £15billion in debt to the nation.

Neymar’s £29million in unpaid tax was the largest personal debt on last year’s list but the Brazilian is absent in 2021.

Spanish authorities have made an example of footballers before, with Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi fined and handed suspended prison sentences for their debts.

Dani Alves is the game’s worst offending defaulter in Spain, with an outstanding £1.7m to pay. The 38-year-old right back returned to Barcelona this season on a free transfer after spending eight years playing in a golden Nou Camp generation.

Alves also appeared in 2016 with a £1m bill to pay, while Real Madrid’s manager makes it back-to-back years on the blacklist.

Carlo Ancelotti owes £1.2m, having been accused of tax fraud during his first stint at the Bernabeu in 2014-15 by Spanish prosecutors.

Eto’o, who played for Barcelona between 2006 and 2009, was facing the threat of a lengthly stint behind bars when allegations that he failed to report sponsorship earnings surfaced.

The former striker and four-time African Player of the Year owes £827,000 to the Spanish tax office.

Eto’o was named the new president of Cameroon’s Football Federation earlier this month after a vote, with the former Barca, Real, Chelsea and Inter Milan star calling the achievement: ‘One of the proudest moments of my life.’