Former Real Madrid assistant manager and son of Carlo Ancelotti, Davide Ancelotti, has taken his first step into management, after four years back at the Santiago Bernabeu. After a number of flirtations with clubs, Ancelotti junior will manage in Brazil for the first time.
Ancelotti will become the new manager of Botafogo, as per Marca, after agreeing to a deal with the Brazilian champions. The Italian has a tough act to follow, replacing Renato Paiva, less than a year on from securing the Brazilian title and their first ever Copa Libertadores trophy. Davide Ancelotti has given the green light for a deal.
Recent years have seen Davide Ancelotti linked with a number of positions. After becoming a fitness coach for Paris Saint-Germain alongside his father in 2012, he would spend the next 13 years by his side, becoming a coach and then assistant manager. Some of the clubs on his trajectory include Bayern Munich, Napoli and Everton before returing to Los Blancos for a second time in 2021.
Everton were one of the sides that reached out to Ancelotti to offer him work as the senior man in charge, followed by conversations with Reims last summer, and this year Parma, Como and Rangers. Ancelotti was down to the final pairing for the job at Ibrox, but they decided to appoint Russell Martin instead.
With Davide landing in Rio de Janeiro in the coming days, he will again be close to his father, who has signed with the Brazil national team until the end of the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada. It is the first time that Davide has worked without his father, although it would be no surprise if he leaned on him for advice.
Davide Ancelotti was well-regarded at Valdebebas, with the young Italian earning praise for his attention to detail, set-piece work and closeness with the players. Naturally, this will be a different job for him now, but in Real Madrid’s 2024 Champions League triumph, Davide Ancelotti was afforded plenty of credit.