Ashley Cole has named Luiz Felipe Scolari as his favourite Chelsea manager he played under, as well as Carlo Ancelotti.
The 38-year-old spent eight years at Stamford Bridge, during a period in which he earned great success and was undoubtedly one of the world’s best left-backs.
Cole worked with some of Europe’s finest coaches in that time, making it a tough decision when it came to naming the best.
Speaking on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football, the Blues legend said Scolari was his pick because of the freedom he gave players, also giving Carlo Ancelotti an honorary mention:
I enjoyed Scolari and Ancelotti, they were my favourite two.
I think Scolari came at a time when I wasn’t playing as well as I knew I could when I first came to Chelsea and I think Chelsea fans can probably agree with me that I wasn’t the Ashley Cole that they knew at Arsenal.
He came and brought this new lease of life. It was like playing for Brazil, he said let’s play like Brazil.
He had me bombing up and down against people like Jamie Carragher, Bosingwa on the other side, and we just kind of had no rules. We could play.
The left back and right were going at the same time and it was unheard of at times.
We were playing some great football and by December we petered out a bit and he got the sack.
It was the best football we’ve ever played in a Chelsea shirt but he got the sack.
It is a surprise choice from Cole in many ways, considering Scolari didn’t even last a season in west London.
Jose Mourinho is the glaring omission, given his reputation at Stamford Bridge, but it is proof that playing style can make all the difference to an individual.
Cole is currently plying his trade at Derby County, playing under former club and international teammate Frank Lampard.
