Carlo Ancelotti’s son Davide has left his first head coach role at Botafogo under mysterious circumstances just months after starting at the Brazilian club.
The 36-year-old had previously assisted his famous father at clubs including Bayern Munich, Napoli, Everton, and Real Madrid, and remains his assistant for the Brazilian national team.
But an attempt to strike out on his own went somewhat awry after his new club Botafogo failed to finish in the top five of the Brazilian Serie A, missing out on automatic qualification to the CONMEBOL Libertadores group stage.
Davide oversaw 15 wins from the dugout, 10 draws and only eight defeats, but appeared to have departed under tumultuous circumstances amid speculation that he had fallen out with the board.
The Italian manager was the recipient of a terse public statement from the club, which did not reveal whether the decision was mutual.
‘Davide Ancelotti is no longer the coach of Botafogo,’ the social media statement began. ‘Botafogo informs that Davide Ancelotti is no longer the coach of the main team.
‘The physical trainer Luca Guerra and the assistants Luis Tevenet and Andrew Mangan are also leaving. The decision was made after meetings this Wednesday.
‘The club thanks Ancelotti for his professionalism and commitment during the period in which he led the team and was part of the alvinegra family.
‘Botafogo wishes him success in future challenges. The new technical commission will be announced shortly.’
As per the Sun, reports in Brazil have suggested that Davide was rankled by the hierarchy’s decision to sack fitness coach Luca Guerra, a member of staff he is thought to have viewed as ‘indispensable’.
Botafogo’s majority shareholder is John Textor, whose Eagle Football Holdings also owns clubs including Lyon and RWDM Brussels – and until this year, a significant minority stake in Crystal Palace.
Ancelotti Jnr is also believed to have raised eyebrows with his training methods, with reports that the manager did not know how best to manage the schedule against the fixture list.
Before his appointment, Davide was viewed as one of the more intriguing young coaching prospects in Europe, with his name linked to the then-vacant role at Rangers.
Although his future is as yet unconfirmed, Davide will remain tied to Brazil via his role in his father’s set-up with the national team.
Ancelotti – who took over the Selecao over the summer – has already begun discussions to extend his contract after signing an initial one-year deal lasting until summer 2026.
Under the heavily decorated Italian, Brazil have won four of their matches, drawn two, and lost two.
