The signing of Carlo Ancelotti in December 2011 marked the step that pushed Paris Saint-Germain toward a new era.
Qatar Sports Investments' (QSI) acquisition of the club had already helped attract players like Javier Pastore, Kevin Gameiro, Blaise Matuidi, and Jeremy Ménez, but it was "Carletto's" arrival that opened the door for Zlatan Ibrahimović, Thiago Silva, Ezequiel Lavezzi, David Beckham, Thiago Motta, and Marco Verratti to join the Parc des Princes.
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Now, after PSG reached the peak of its power, crowned champions of the UEFA Champions League in two consecutive seasons under Luis Enrique, Davide Ancelotti, born in Parma in 1989, has emerged as one of those threatening the Parisian club's dominance.
The current Lille coach, who began his career at PSG as a fitness coach during the 2012-2013 season, said: "Everyone thought Paris would win easily, but the team needed time to start playing as one unit."
Davide, who had a brief spell at Botafogo, has made a strong start in his second experience as a head coach.
Despite Lille losing Ayyoub Bouaddi for 95 million and Fernandez Bardo for 60 million, "Les Dogues" top the standings, having collected 10 points out of a possible 12, level with Monaco and Rennes.
Lille sits five points ahead of PSG, whom they drew with 2-2, after Ancelotti's team squandered a two-goal lead.
Collecting 10 points from the first four matches is an achievement no Lille coach has managed since Patrick Collot in 2016.
But Ancelotti Jr. doesn't want to settle for results alone, saying: "In football, getting results is extremely important, but I think we can perform better, in fact we must perform better. In any case, I'm very happy and feel very comfortable here."
Davide Ancelotti didn't arrive at Lille aiming to tear down everything that came before him and build a new team from scratch; rather, he wanted to preserve the foundations he found and build on them.
He said: "Very good work was done before my arrival, and I respect that. I don't want to change everything. Animals shed their skin, but they don't lose their identity. And we should do the same."
Davide has remained faithful to the 4-2-3-1 formation established by his predecessor Bruno Génésio, and when he was presented as the team's coach, Ancelotti explained his footballing philosophy, saying: "I'm someone who wants to see a team play with energy and discipline, and with a bold footballing style."
He added: "The first priority is not losing the ball. The second is winning it back immediately. And the third, if we can't win it back directly, is to be organized enough to win it back. We have solidity that we need to show."
Ancelotti didn't need much time to turn those words into action.
Lille, who previously pulled off a major surprise by snatching the French league title from PSG in the 2020-2021 season, have returned to the top once again, while maintaining their flexible, dynamic style.
Interestingly, the team's numbers reveal a playing style different from many of their rivals.
Lille rank fourth among French league teams with the lowest ball possession, at 44.49%, and are also the third-lowest shooting team overall, with a total of 43 shots.
Despite this, the team ranks fourth in terms of shots on target, with 24 shots.
Transitions have become one of the most distinctive features of Davide Ancelotti's team, and when his players reach the opponent's goal, they show great efficiency.
Lille have scored seven goals despite an expected goals (xG) rate of only 5.3, while their shot accuracy stands at 16.28%, the third-best rate in the French league.
Toulouse coach Jens Bertelsen Askou warned of Lille's danger, saying: "They can score in many different ways. They're an extremely dynamic team, they play fast and move well, and they also have exceptionally talented, experienced players."
Lille stand out for their strength on the flanks, with wingers such as Ethan Mbappé, Bakwa, and Ünal cutting inside, while the full-backs push forward into advanced areas of the pitch.
It's enough to illustrate Lille's attacking nature that right-back Tiago Santos shares the top of the team's scoring charts with new signing Ayasei Oida.
Oida adds movement and depth to an attacking line accustomed to playing with a clear-cut, reference-point striker, such as Olivier Giroud, alongside a "number 10" capable of advancing from the second line, such as Hákon Arnar Haraldsson.
These elements reflect the team's flexibility and its ability to reach the opponent's goal in different ways, rather than relying on a single attacking shape.
Despite his impressive start, comparisons between Davide and his father Carlo Ancelotti remain a constant presence.
But the Lille coach doesn't try to run from them, saying: "No, I don't want to run from it. It's a question that keeps coming up throughout my life. I'm very happy to be an Ancelotti, and proud to carry that name, because I was lucky enough to learn from the best. That's not something I want to give up. It's not a burden for me."
But Davide also stressed at the same time that he doesn't want his career to become a permanent comparison to his father's, saying: "I don't want to compare myself to my father. Of course, I'm here to write my own story."
So far, Davide Ancelotti appears to have already begun writing his own story in ideal fashion, having put Lille at the top of the French league and made them one of the teams that could pose a genuine threat to PSG's dominance.
Resource: Al Ghad.
