Davide Ancelotti proves Rangers snub wrong as new appointment announcement drops
Davide Ancelotti has landed another job after his prospective move to Rangers fell through last year.
The Italian was long linked with the vacant head coach role at Ibrox after the departure of Barry Ferguson as interim boss.
The former Gers midfielder had been placed in temporary charge after Philippe Clement was sacked to give time to find an adequate replacement.
Many names were put forward for the role before Russell Martin eventually came in for an ill-fated spell in Govan.
Ancelotti was snubbed by Rangers and has now gone on to land a new role that sets his stall out much higher than the Light Blues.
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Davide Ancelotti named as Lille manager
The son of the legendary Carlo Ancelotti has long acted as an assistant to his father, but last summer decided that he wanted his own chance as a manager.
He went in search of that at Ibrox, but eventually found himself taking charge of Brazilian outfit Botafogo.
| Botafogo record | Davide Ancelotti |
| Matches | 33 |
| Wins | 15 |
| Draws | 10 |
| Losses | 8 |
The 36-year-old lasted just six months with the Serie A side before parting ways after securing Copa Libertadores qualification.
That sparked a job search that stretches back to December 2025, but it has finally come to an end.
Lille announced the appointment of Ancelotti on Monday, revealing that he has penned a two-year contract at the Decathlon Arena.
𝑫𝒂𝒗𝒊𝒅𝒆 𝑨𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒍𝒐𝒕𝒕𝒊 𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒍𝒆 𝒏𝒐𝒖𝒗𝒆𝒍 𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒊̂𝒏𝒆𝒖𝒓 𝒅𝒖 𝑳𝑶𝑺𝑪 🆕🇮🇹
— LOSC (@losclive) June 1, 2026
Le LOSC annonce aujourd’hui la nomination de Davide Ancelotti comme entraîneur de l’équipe première. Le technicien italien, passé par les plus grands clubs et sélections du monde,… pic.twitter.com/OPDiyyr5XO
The French outfit are impressed by his “modern tactical approach” and have entrusted him with their upcoming campaign in the Champions League.
Ancelotti could have become Rangers manager less than a year ago, but maybe has made the Light Blues regret their actions.
What did Ancelotti say about Rangers snub?
The former Real Madrid and Bayern Munich assistant manager has now landed a head coach role with a side that finished third in a top-five league.
That shows the level he has reached, even after a short spell with Botafogo last year.
The Ibrox club have sacked Martin and hired Danny Rohl in that time, while also failing to win the Scottish Premiership once again.
Things may have been different with Ancelotti at the helm, but he was instead turned away in favour of the ex-Southampton boss.
✍️ We are delighted to confirm the appointment of Russell Martin as Head Coach of our men’s first team on a three-year deal.
— Rangers Football Club (@RangersFC) June 5, 2025
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He revealed that back in April, when he said: “Rangers were a club that I had conversations with and had an interview process with, as always happens now in modern football.
“I went through this process, but in the end, they had to pick one, and they didn’t pick me. I appreciated the fact they considered me for the job. But at the end of the day, until you see a manager working on a daily basis, it’s difficult to evaluate.”
That will only make this whole situation in Govan all the more frustrating as the Gers have seemingly missed yet another open goal away from the pitch.
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