Ashley Cole is one of the best left-backs that England has ever produced. He had a successful career at both Arsenal and Chelsea, even playing an integral part in the Blues’ maiden Champions League triumph alongside winning several other trophies while at Stamford Bridge.
After retiring from the pitch, Cole decided to try his hand at coaching. He has had roles at Chelsea, Everton, Birmingham City and even England.
Now, Cole looks set to be on the verge of his first senior managerial post. And it is one that not many could have predicted for him. The English legend is headed to Italy.
According to talkSPORT, Cole is closing in on becoming the manager of Serie B side Cesena. The Italian club sacked Michele Mignani on Saturday.
Ashley Cole close to becoming manager of Italian club pushing for promotion
Cesena might have sacked their manager recently, but they are still in contention for promotion. The Italian Serie B is so set that the top two teams are automatically promoted while those from third to eighth have to go through a play-off phase.
As things stand, Cesena are eighth in Serie B. So, they still have a shot at going up. Sacking Mignani has also shown the ambition of the club. The pressure will be on Cole to come in and immediately produce results.
Of course, Cole has shown potential as a coach so far. But it will be interesting to see whether he is ready to be a first-team manager or not.
Chelsea have their own managerial problems at the moment
The future of the managerial post at Chelsea is not completely clear either. Liam Rosenior was brought in earlier this year, replacing Enzo Maresca. After a bright start under him, the team’s form has faded away. In a tight race for the Champions League spot, they have won just one of their last five Premier League games.
Naturally, questions are already being raised about Rosenior. Just two months in, a large section of the fanbase have already seen enough.
If you ask me, even if Chelsea fail to qualify for the Champions League, the club will stick with Rosenior beyond this season. That being said, we have seen in the past that there is only so much time you are going to get at Stamford Bridge.
Cole might be just starting out in management. But if he can guide Cesena to promotion this season, I would not be surprised if he is in the mix by the time Chelsea find themselves changing managers again, which is starting to feel inevitable already.
