Carlo Ancelotti to take a year off

Carlo Ancelotti has said that he will take a year off from football following his dismissal from Chelsea.

The revelation resolves speculation that he could take the place of Gerard Houllier at Aston Villa or Mark Hughes at Fulham. He had also been linked with QPR and his old club Roma.

"I am in no hurry to coach and I don't need to," the 51-year-old told Italian newspaper La Stampa. "I have not been contacted by any club in England and I have not spoken to Roma. It is all fantasy.

"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."

Ancelotti was ousted from Stamford Bridge a year early after Chelsea failed to retain the Premiership title last month.