Davide Ancelotti is taking on his first head coaching role after 13 years on his father’s coaching staff: The 35-year-old has been introduced as the new coach of Botafogo.
Wherever Carlo Ancelotti went in the past 13 years, his son Davide Ancelotti followed him. Davide worked as a fitness coach at Paris Saint-Germain and during his early days at Real Madrid before being promoted to assistant coach at Bayern Munich in 2016. Most recently, Davide Ancelotti followed in his father’s footsteps to the Brazilian national team.
But now he is finally stepping out of his father’s shadow: as was officially announced on Tuesday, Davide Ancelotti is taking over as coach of reigning Brazilian champions Botafogo with immediate effect. The club announced the departure of coach Renato Paiva, who had been in charge for just four months, following their exit from the Club World Cup. Botafogo are currently eighth in the league, six points behind leaders and cup winners Flamengo.
Davide Ancelotti signed a contract until 2026, and hopes are high for him. “The signing of Davide Ancelotti is another strategic step toward strengthening the sporting project based on innovation, ambition, and international interest,” Botafogo wrote in its press release.
At the World Cup alongside his father
Speaking in fluent Portuguese from the training ground in the afternoon, Davide Ancelotti reported on how much he is looking forward to his first head coach role. He is bringing Spanish assistant Luis Tevenet and English assistant Andrew Mangan with him to Botafogo. Italian fitness coach Luca Guerra is also new to the team.
Botafogo, which Davide Ancelotti describes as “one of the most promising coaches of his generation,” is apparently accommodating his father Carlo Ancelotti. According to several media reports, Davide Ancelotti will be released by his new club for the Brazilian Football Confederation for the World Cup in the US, Canada, and Mexico next summer.