The Brazilian club Botafogo has shown interest in signing David Ancelotti, the assistant coach of the Brazil national team, to take over the technical leadership of the team, succeeding Portuguese Renato Paiva, who was dismissed following the 1-0 loss to Palmeiras in the Round of 16 of the 2025 Club World Cup.

Botafogo officially announced the dismissal of Paiva and his assistants, in a statement thanking them for their time with the club, after he failed to implement what American owner John Textor described as Botafogo's style, which is the attacking play they aspire to.

David Ancelotti, the son of head coach Carlo Ancelotti, is currently serving as an assistant to his father in the Brazil national team, after being part of his staff at Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Napoli, and Everton. Although he has not held any position as a head coach yet, his career as an assistant is filled with significant experiences.

David joined the Brazil coaching staff following his father's official appointment and participated with him in the first official matches in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Ecuador and Paraguay. Botafogo is expected to resume training on Monday, with their next match in the Brazilian league scheduled for July 12 in the thirteenth round.