LILLE, France – In a high-profile coaching announcement made Monday, Ligue 1 side Lille OSC confirmed the appointment of Davide Ancelotti, son of Brazil men’s national team head coach Carlo Ancelotti, as their new first-team manager for the 2025-26 season. The 36-year-old tactician has put pen to paper on a two-year contract that will see him steer the club through its return to the UEFA Champions League, the top club football competition in European soccer.
Ancelotti steps into the role vacated by Bruno Génésio, who did not receive a contract extension after delivering a third-place Ligue 1 finish that secured Lille’s automatic Champions League qualification for the upcoming campaign. While Génésio led the club to solid domestic results, Lille’s ownership opted for a fresh face to guide the team through their European challenge.
Davide Ancelotti brings nearly 15 years of top-tier coaching experience across Europe and South America, much of it earned alongside his legendary father. He served as an assistant coach at five different elite clubs – Bayern Munich, Napoli, Everton, and Real Madrid – before joining Carlo Ancelotti’s staff with the Brazil national team during 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying. After cutting his teeth as an assistant at the highest level of the sport, Ancelotti struck out on his own last year, taking his first full-time head coaching role at Brazilian Serie A club Botafogo. His tenure in Rio de Janeiro ended prematurely, however, with Ancelotti relieved of his duties just five months after taking the job.
This return to France marks Ancelotti’s first senior coaching role in the country in more than a decade. Over 13 years ago, he worked as a fitness coach at Paris Saint-Germain during Carlo Ancelotti’s 18-month spell in charge of the Parisian giants, giving him early familiarity with French top-flight soccer.
For Lille, the upcoming Champions League campaign marks a return to the competition after the club’s 2024-25 run saw them reach the round of 16, where they were eliminated by Germany’s Borussia Dortmund. Last season, after dropping into the UEFA Europa League, Génésio’s side once again reached the round of 16, falling to eventual tournament winners Aston Villa. With Ancelotti at the helm, the club will look to build on recent consistent European runs and compete for both domestic and continental honors in the coming seasons.