Carlo Ancelotti To Take Year Off, Disappointing Roma And Aston Villa

Carlo Ancelotti is set to take at least a year out of management after being sacked by Cheslsea on the last day of the 2010/11 season, in which the Blues finished second and reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League. Although he had been linked with a number of vacant jobs in England (and had expressed a preference to stay in the country), Ancelotti has now opted to take some time off - the fact that he’s been paid compensation for 2011/12 by his previous employers certainly doesn’t hurt.

In his two years at Chelsea FC, Carlo Ancelotti won a domestic double in his first season, then finished second in the league in his second season. After the last game of that second season, he was promptly fired. Harsh? Not according to Graham MacAcree of SB Nation’s Chelsea blog We Ain’t Got No History, and I have to say, he makes a couple of excellent points in his post about Carlo Ancelotti’s dismissal and time at the club.

Though Chelsea did finish in second place, it’s reasonable that 71 points was not a good enough performance for Roman Abramovic. Last year (and in almost any year in recent history), 71 points would have only put a team in fourth place. With the players and resources Chelsea has, 71 points is not an acceptable finish, and Abramovic was probably justified in his decision.