Like father, like son: Ancelotti Jr.’s awesome start
Having taken over at Lille in the summer, Davide Ancelotti has piloted the Ligue 1 club to an impressive start to the season.
Davide Ancelotti’s appointment as Lille’s new head coach has, so far, been an unqualified success. In his first managerial stint in Europe, the Italian has guided the northern French club to the top of the Ligue 1 table after four rounds, and his work on the sidelines has quickly won over Lille supporters, who are gradually moving on from the legacy left behind by his predecessor, Bruno Genesio. Sunday’s 2-0 victory over Troyes sent Les Dogues to the summit, fueling hopes that they can, perhaps, stay in the title race all the way to the end of the season.
“We still have things to improve,” Ancelotti stressed this weekend when asked about Lille’s position atop the French league standings. The Italian chose to forge his own path after spending years working side by side with his father, Carlo. His behind-the-scenes contributions were instrumental in Real Madrid’s run to two Champions League titles in three years during their most recent spell together at the club. Ancelotti ultimately decided it was time to step out on his own and become a head coach. After an uneven first spell at Botafogo and following his role on Brazil’s coaching staff at the most recent World Cup, a call from Lille changed everything.
A long-term Lille relationship bears fruit
Lille president Olivier Létang convinced Ancelotti to make the move to northern France. The two had known each other for years. During Carlo Ancelotti’s tenure at Paris Saint-Germain, the French executive served as sporting director for the Parisian club. It was there that they built a strong relationship, one that would eventually lead to Ancelotti Jr.’s appointment as Lille manager years later.
He barely had a vacation. As soon as Brazil’s World Cup campaign came to an end, he arrived at Luchin, home of Lille’s training complex, and got straight to work. Surrounded by some of his most trusted staff members, including Diego Nogales, who oversees set pieces and has become a key figure in Lille’s early success, Ancelotti has enjoyed a superb start to life in Ligue 1.
A man-manager who learned from the maestro
Only two stoppage-time goals from PSG, in a match Lille led 2-0 heading into the 90th minute, denied Ancelotti a perfect record in France. His Champions League debut also left a positive impression against Real Betis. However, an early red card for Ethan Mbappé, a mistake born of youthful inexperience, derailed Lille’s chances of securing a victory. Even so, the defeat had little impact on the squad’s morale. The team bounced back quickly, grinding out an important win over Troyes on Sunday, a result that lifted Lille to the top of the Ligue 1 standings.
A telling example of Ancelotti’s man-management skills can be seen in how he handled the Mbappé situation. A more hard-line coach might have sidelined Ethan after his costly mistake against Betis. Despite being named to the bench, the winger shared a warm embrace with the Italian before entering the match and repaid that faith with a fine goal against Troyes. Those are the kinds of lessons Ancelotti learned from his father, one of the game’s great people managers, with whom he won a remarkable collection of trophies.
Ten points from a possible 12, a pragmatic playing style, a willingness to trust every member of the squad, and an impressive start to the campaign have only strengthened Lille’s faith in Ancelotti. The club could hardly be happier with his work. The French media has highlighted his maturity in handling difficult situations, such as when he played down PSG’s dramatic late equalizer in the second round of the Ligue 1 season. Olivier Giroud, whom Ancelotti has repeatedly praised for his commitment and professionalism, revealed that the coach often uses examples from Greek mythology to motivate his players.
Ancelotti has hit the ground running in France, a country where he previously helped his father win the Ligue 1 title with PSG during the 2012-13 season. Having worked alongside one of the greatest coaches in soccer history has given him an additional edge as he navigates his first experience as a head coach in European soccer. Next Sunday in Nice, the Parma native will defend Lille’s spot at the top of the Ligue 1 table for the first time this season. It will be a difficult challenge, but far from an impossible one for a coaching prospect who is already proving to be the real thing.
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