Sitting pretty:
Carlo Ancelotti is prepared to wait for a second stint in English
football
Carlo
Ancelotti cannot work in the Premier League for the next 12 months
because of the £6million pay-off he agreed with
Chelsea.
The Londoners do not want the Italian in charge
of a rival club next season and have made that a condition of his
severance package, just as they did when Jose Mourinho left in
2007.
Ancelotti, who was sacked at the end of the
season, last week turned down the chance to take over at Aston
Villa, saying that he intended to take a 12-month break.
He had been a target for Roma, but the Italian
wants to manage in England again and is prepared to put his feet up
and wait.
Chelsea tried to replace him last Christmas with
Turkey manager Guus Hiddink.
The plan was for the Dutchman to return in a
caretaker capacity, just as he did when he was manager of Russia in
2009. He took over from Luiz Felipe Scolari while continuing his
national team duties.
This time, Chelsea were told Hiddink could not do
the same again, so the London club had to wait until now before
approaching the Turkish FA about an early release from his
contract.
Up for it: Guus Hiddink enjoyed a successful stint
as caretaker boss at Chelsea
Hiddink, 64, is likely to bring
former Manchester City fitness coach Raymond Verheijen to Stamford
Bridge if he is allowed to join Chelsea next
week.
Verheijen, who worked under Hiddink with South
Korea, Russia and Australia and also worked with Chelsea's squad
when Hiddink was there, will be brought in as a member of the
backroom staff.
Chelsea would like to pair Hiddink with Mark
Hughes but if they cannot strike a deal, the Dutchman is likely to
take the manager's job for a year before becoming sporting
director.
Pep Guardiola, who is committed to Barcelona for
another year, may then become an option next summer.