Carlo Ancelotti ruled out of Villa job

Carlo Ancelotti today ruled himself out of the manager's vacancy at Villa by revealing he will take a one-year sabbatical from coaching after leaving Chelsea.

The Italian has been heavily linked with the job and emerged as the fans' choice for the position over the past few days, but that now appears unlikely after he confirmed his decision to take a break.

It is a blow for Villa owner Randy Lerner, who had hoped to persuade Ancelotti to take over the position and he will now turn his attention elsewhere.

Lerner had optimistically hoped to persuade Ancelotti, who had also been linked with the Roma job, to take over from Gerard Houllier following his departure from the club because of health problems.

The claret and blues hierarchy had been encouraged by the fact the Italian had expressed a desire to continue his managerial career in the Premier League.

It had been also rumoured that Ancelotti had clause in his Chelsea contract which might have prevented him from taking over another English club, although subsequent reports suggested this had been removed.

What is now clear is that Ancelotti can be discarded from the list of candidates for the Villa hotseat after revealing his decision to spend a year away from frontline management.

Ancelotti said: "I am in no hurry to coach and I don't need to. I have not been contacted by any club in England and I have not spoken to Roma. It is all fantasy.

"I have enjoyed this experience of coaching in England and I will return to London to organise my life. Besides a six-month break, I have been coaching non-stop since 1995.

"I will take a year off and look around, study how my colleagues work."

Lerner will now turn his attentions elsewhere with Steve McClaren, Martin Jol and Rafael Benitez all out of work and keen to take over at Villa.

[24link]