A Chelsea and Arsenal legend harshly criticized English clubs for the excuses they have given him in his new chapter as a coach.
The former Chelsea and Arsenal star, Ashley Cole, took a “leap of faith” by accepting the bench of Cesena in the Italian second division after nearly seven years as an assistant.
Despite his extensive resume as a coach at Chelsea, Everton, and the England under-21 team, Cole kept running into the argument of “lack of experience” in his home country. His signing for the club from Emilia-Romagna represents an unusual step for an English coach in Italian football, where he already played as a footballer at Roma.
Cole criticized the circular logic of English clubs: they ask for experience but do not give opportunities to get it. He said he was proud to be a Black English coach working abroad and promised to impose a high-intensity style of play at his new club.
About the barriers he faced before moving to Serie B, Cole told the BBC: “Some English clubs told me, ‘you don’t have experience,’ but how do I get it if they don’t give me the opportunity?
For a No. 2 coach, it is a six or seven-year battle; you have to take the leap of faith, and the club does too. I don’t think there are many Black English coaches in Italy, so it is a big leap from them, and I am proud to be here. It is a fantastic place to start. I’m glad to be back. We are going to do something different, something special.”
While teammates of his generation like Frank Lampard quickly took on top jobs, Cole chose to lay solid foundations to be ready. He admitted influences like Thierry Henry and Carlo Ancelotti but sought his own identity.
Speaking about his long-term ambitions and his desire to prove his worth with hard work, Cole said: “Frank Lampard was better and faster than me after we retired. People compare us and ask why I didn’t take a job. I wasn’t ready; it’s as simple as that. I wanted to lay the foundations and be ready for this opportunity.”
“I will not be a Jose Mourinho: I don’t have his stature or his achievements. Carlo Ancelotti is calm and successful, so I can’t imitate him either. I will not be a Rafa Benitez. I have to take small things from them, be myself, trust my process, and focus on Cesena. I want to work and, hopefully, one day, be able to win a trophy.”
Cole faces a big tactical challenge Saturday: leading Cesena to beat Palermo in a key Serie B duel. The team, eighth with 44 points after 34 matchdays, remains in contention for the preliminary round of the promotion playoffs. The new coach has implemented a more flexible, possession-based style to end the poor away run and maintain momentum toward a return to the top flight.
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