Max Allegri confirms further speculation on Chelsea

Max Allegri confirmed that he would NOT be the next director of Chelsea.

The former boss of Juventus revealed that he would not find any management position in 2019-2020, but that he would instead take a sabbatical after his exit from Turin.

The Italian is closely linked to the employment of Stamford Bridge, Maurizio Sarri is about to leave.

Thursday night, Chelsea has reached an agreement with Juve that provides for the return of Sarri in his country, ironically as a replacement for Allegri.

Frank Lampard is in pole position to replace Sarri.

Allegri, 51, left Juventus last month after winning five consecutive Scudetto titles.

He also led the Bianconeri to two Champions League finals before choosing to leave, 12 months before the end of his contract.

Speculation linked Allegri to new jobs, in the Premier League and elsewhere; he would have refused a contract of 10 million euros a year to return to AC Milan.

Allegri has largely kept his own advice since the press conference announcing his exit from Juve.

But at Milan's Castello Sforzesco, Allegri confirmed that his immediate future would have gone away from football.

Allegri said: "I will stay [away] for a year because I have to regain my privacy, find my family, my children and my friends after so many years.

"These last 16 years, I've been in a juicer. I will give affection to my family, my children and my friends.

"This year, I'll need that [time off] to recharge my batteries for next season. "

The Allegri shares will not fall in the next 12 months and it will be tied to the European elite throughout 2019-2020 if, at any time, one of the biggest hitters of the continent is underperforming.

In recent weeks, he has also found himself linked to Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich – although the three leaders have leaders in place.