Outgoing Chelsea manager Guus Hiddink has urged the club's hierarchy to give his successor time to build a solid foundation.

Twenty-four hours after Hiddink bade farewell to Chelsea, leaving the FA Cup as a going-away present, Ancelotti confirmed he was to exit AC Milan.

The news comes as little surprise given there was no chance of Hiddink staying, so Ancelotti is set to become the Blues' fifth manager in less than two years following the previous departures of Jose Mourinho, Avram Grant and Luiz Felipe Scolari.

And, after such a turbulent time, Hiddink feels the new man has to be given the opportunity to put his own stamp on the club.

"This club needs the next manager to stay for a long while," said Hiddink.

"He needs to have a foundation."

The good news for Ancelotti is that major surgery is not required given the way Hiddink has managed to galvanise the Chelsea squad in the three-and-a-half months he was at the helm.

Many of the experienced players who seemed to lack the appetite for a fight have rediscovered old form, while younger members of the squad, who previously contributed little, have shown why they were bought in the first place.

"The older players showed they can still perform very well and it is good to have a strong squad," said Hiddink.

"If you play 60 games a year, plus internationals, you must have the possibility to rest people.

"But it is beyond question that when older players get injured, it is harder for them to come back at the highest level."

While Ancelotti's status as a two-time Champions League winner as a player and a coach identifies him as a top-class talent, he did win only one Italian league title with Milan.

His lack of English would also appear to be a drawback and while there are so many foreign players in the Premier League he is bound to be aware of, it will be his first experience of the intensity of what many claim to be the world's most attractive league.

That is not Hiddink's problem any more, having pocketed a sizeable sum for a short stay in which his biggest regrets were losing to Barcelona in the Champions League semi-final and not getting the chance to pit his wits against Sir Alex Ferguson in competitive combat.

However, Hiddink denies financial reward was his only motivation, citing the results he gained as proof there was more to his management than money.

"Chelsea is in my heart," he said.

"In all walks of life, people come in for a short period and then go. Those left behind have no idea who they were or what they did. It hasn't been like that for me.

"The players responded to my way of working from virtually the very first day. We developed a strong relationship. That is why I feel a lot for this club.

"It is not just about where the money was. I can honestly say I never thought of it. That just would not work."