The coach has already saved his job at Cagliari. Carlo’s son has just left Botafogo
Alberto Gilardino’s job is on the line. Stefano Moreo’s last-minute goal spared Cagliari yet another defeat (it would have been their eighth) and, above all, the coach’s dismissal, which the club had already considered. But the decision seems only postponed, and another loss will most likely be fatal for the 2006 World Cup champion. And since the next match is against Juventus at the Arena, the odds of a turning point are very high. That’s why Pisa has already taken the initiative and is working on a successor. With a decidedly original idea: to give young Davide Ancelotti, son of Carlo and fresh off his experience (his first as head coach) with Botafogo in Brazil, his debut in Italy.
Gilardino is being criticized mainly for the results, even though the team hasn’t been significantly strengthened compared to last season in Serie B. The only win was the home match against Cremonese; sitting in second-to-last place, three points away from safety, is a meager record for a team that perhaps couldn’t have done much more. The upcoming transfer window comes to the rescue, and it’s no coincidence that Pisa is exploring various options to strengthen the squad. But this also includes a coaching change. The usual names of coaches waiting for a job have been evaluated but haven’t really impressed the ownership. The opportunity to bring in a big name like Ancelotti Jr., who grew up in his father’s shadow and has now launched his own career, has had a very different effect.

Europe—  Davide had a very brief career as a soccer player (Borgomanero in Serie D) and then always followed his father around Europe. From PSG to Real Madrid, then to Bayern Munich, Napoli, Everton, and back to Madrid until last season, amassing a sensational collection of trophies. Then the Ancelotti paths diverged. In fact, Davide had remained by his father’s side even for the first match against Brazil, but then he had the opportunity to coach Botafogo. After finishing sixth in the league and securing qualification for the preliminary round of the Copa Libertadores, Ancelotti Jr. was fired last week. He took the decision in stride, partly in his father’s style, and partly because perhaps the Pisa option was already taking shape.
Coincidence—  Exactly thirty years ago, his father Carlo made his coaching debut at the helm of Reggiana, also at the age of 36. The team got off to a bad start and was last after seven matchdays, but gradually climbed back up the table and, at the end of that season, narrowly secured promotion to Serie A, finishing fourth. That’s pretty much what Pisa should be asking of his son: not to win, but to stay in that division they’ve just earned after a 34-year wait. Staying up, at this point, would be like securing another promotion. Davide Ancelotti, following in the footsteps of his father Carlo. The most successful of them all.