'I wanted to give back to the sport that gave me everything' - Ashley Cole is finding himself in first manager job
Ashley Cole wanders into a backstage green room in Budapest's Vajdahunyad Castle just before 11pm after watching Paris Saint-Germain retain their Champions League crown with a penalty shoot-out victory over Arsenal at the Puskas Arena.
Cole, who won the Champions League in 2012 in Munich with Chelsea, politely shakes hands and introduces himself before sitting down for a very late interview.
He gives his dissection of what he felt was a somewhat "underwhelming" final that was dominated by PSG but saw Arsenal's defensive set-up keep them at bay bar a penalty converted by Ousmane Dembele.
Conversation then turns to his foray into management, which began in March when he took his first steps with Serie B side Cesena.
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After an extensive coaching career which has included working with Chelsea on two occasions, as well as Everton and the England national team, Cole is now trying his hand at being the main man in the dugout.
His first managerial job certainly came as a major surprise but Cole is already enjoying the challenge.
“I’ve just told you I watch as a fan, but I’m always thinking, ‘What are they trying to do? How are they trying to break down blocks? Where are they trying to find space?’" Cole says, speaking to SPORTbible in an exclusive interview.
“I can’t watch football as a normal fan anymore. I’m always trying to break it down and think about what I would do against them’.
“I’ve always wanted to do things that challenge me and maybe aren’t what people expected me to do. There’s probably a little bit of proving people wrong in there as well.
“I’ve had a good coaching journey—seven years at Chelsea, time at Everton, back at Chelsea, Birmingham, England Under-21s and the senior team. I’ve gained a lot of experience and time on the grass.
“But becoming the number one means stepping outside your comfort zone. Until you're in that position, you don't fully understand the challenges. It was something I felt I had to do.
“I’m trying to improve and learn on the job. There are language challenges too. My wife is Italian, so I understand bits of the language, but when you’re delivering team talks and trying to get people to believe in you, it’s different. It’s a challenge, but I’m not going to shy away from it.”
Cole is one of the best English players of his generation, capped 107 times by his country. The former left-back is also a three-time Premier League winner and a Premier League Hall of Famer.
He worked with some of the best coaches in the game, learning a wealth of different tactics and management styles that have helped shape him into the coach he has become today.
"I took something from every manager and coach I worked under," he adds.
"Jose Mourinho was incredibly organised and tactically spot on.
“Arsene Wenger believed in letting the game be the teacher. I was young at Arsenal, and he allowed me to make mistakes and learn from them.
“Carlo Ancelotti taught me to treat the person before the player and get to know the individual first.
“Rafa Benitez showed me that even experienced players can keep learning.
“Then internationally, Fabio Capello taught me how to control games and manage situations when you can’t influence everything directly."
Yet while he has taken bits from some of the most successful managers to have been on the touchline, Cole knows that he cannot merely copy their approaches.
"I don’t think I can be anyone else," he insists.
"This is me. I need to find my own way in this environment. I have to be authentic, impose myself, show I know what I’m talking about, and make players believe in what I’m coaching. It’s tough, but I think I’m getting there.”
Cesena, where Cole manages Jurgen Klinssmann's son, Jonathan Klinsmann, finished 11th in Serie B but just three points off the play-offs.
When he arrived, they were in eighth - occupying the final play-off spot but having failed to win in seven games under Michele Mignani.
Cole states: "Sometimes what people see on paper doesn’t tell the full story.
“When I went there, we finished eleventh, and people ask questions. But a lot of the metrics improved. There were challenges around mentality and changing the style of play, but the data was positive.
“I can’t just rely on what I see with my eyes—I have to use the data as well. In modern football, you need both.”
In his playing career, Cole was an excellent defender who was just as good going forward. But what is the 43-year-old's approach to coaching like? Upon taking the gig at Cesena, he made it clear that despite being a defender, he does "not want to coach defensive football".
Though Italian football is renowned for its defensive solidity, with five defenders and tactical discipline, Cole's vision of football is very clear. He wants to attack.
"It’s quite hard to change mentalities and habits that players have built over years," the former Roma and LA Galaxy man explains.
“I want my teams to have more of the ball, more control, build differently, create space for attacking players, be front-footed, and attack quickly and consistently.
“Working with Lee Carsley had a big influence on me. That’s the way I see football and the way I want my teams to play.
“But changing mindsets takes time. It’s difficult. Still, I believe it’s the way teams can get promoted and win titles.”
Cole knows what Italy is all about from his short stint with Roma, where he played 16 times. His previous experience was enough for him to become aware of the innate levels of passion Italian ultras display.
History has shown that if a team is not playing well, they will turn up at the training ground to confront the squad.
"Football is like a religion to them—it’s more than just a game," Cole reflects.
“When I first went to Cesena, I wasn’t there to tear up their traditions or values. You have to respect what the supporters do for the club.
“They support the team week in, week out, regardless of results. With that comes criticism, and as a manager you have to accept it.
“I want my team to represent me, but also the fans who sacrifice their time and money to support the club. I understand that now more than ever.”
He is not the only former Arsenal and Chelsea player to take his first coaching steps in Italy. Cole's former teammate Cesc Fabregas took the reins at Como when they were in Serie B, following a playing stint preceded by a spell as a youth coach and a period as the assistant boss.
The former Barcelona led Como to promotion to the top-flight in his first full season and followed that up with an almost unthinkable achievement in his second campaign: qualification to the Champions League.
Are we looking at a someone who is going to become one of the top coaches in world football?
Cole answers: “Absolutely. There are lots of great coaches out there, but they need support and opportunities. Cesc has been given some top, top players in that league. He’s very astute in the way he sees football.
“He’s adapted tactically, moved away from the Italian style with the back five, he adapts, moves to where the space is and changes things whatever the opposition are doing.
“He’s ahead of the curve, but you need time and you need support. I think there’s so many great young managers but we need to be given time.”
Whereas Fabregas signed a four-year deal for his first managerial job straight after getting his coaching badges, Cole has been playing the long game in coaching and had various backroom staff jobs.
But there was a reason that he chose to forge his path in this manner and he is now ready to make a difference in the game as a manager
“As soon as I retired, I felt I needed to go back to the beginning and understand myself," he stresses.
“We spoke about authenticity—I needed to find out who I was as a coach. ‘Was I good enough? Did I enjoy it? Was there a role for me in the game?’
“I wanted to give back to the sport that gave me everything. Then it was about understanding organisation, planning, tactical element of what you’re going up against and what the opposition do.
“I needed to go back to the basics, but I think I've done my time now. I've studied a lot. I've had a lot of minutes on the grass and I’ve found myself.
“Some ex-players didn't need what I needed. They were above me in that level of understanding, the mentality and the planning and organisation. I needed it. I'm happy with my journey, my pathway, and we'll just see where that takes me.”
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Topics: Arsenal, Ashley Cole, Chelsea, England, Spotlight
Josh Lawless