Ashley Cole Picks Ancelotti As His Best Chelsea Manager
Former Chelsea and England defender, Ashley Cole, has picked Carlo Ancelotti as the best manager he played under during his time at Stamford Bridge.
Cole moved from Arsenal to Stamford Bridge in acrimonious circumstances in the summer of 2006 when Jose Mourinho was in his first spell as Chelsea manager.
The 38-year-old spent eight years at Chelsea, playing under some of the best managers in world football including Brazil’s 2002 world cup winning manager, Luis Felipe Scolari, Jose Mourinho, Andre Villas Boas and Rafael Benitez.
However, current Napoli manager Carlo Ancelotti, who managed Cole for two seasons at Chelsea between 2009 and 2011, is the one who really caught his eye.
Cole had to wait three years before winning his one and only Premier League title at Chelsea, and it came in Ancelotti’s first year at the club.
“I think the managers who suited my style were more attacking, which is how I had played at Arsenal,” Cole told Chelsea’s official website.
“When [Luiz Felipe] Scolari came in I felt at my best. I felt I blossomed under him and got back to playing with confidence.
“Ancelotti was my number one. We played with tactics, obviously, but he gave you a freedom and I was able to attack. That double season in 2009-10 was probably my best season.
“It was the most I scored in a season, I felt I was unbeatable in defence and was linking up with others well.
“I had a great relationship with Florent Malouda on the left wing, JT [John Terry] next to me and Frank [Lampard] on that left side of the midfield three. I was able to make runs in behind and was always in dangerous spots inside the box.”
Cole also won four FA Cups, one League cup, the 2012 Champions League and the 2013 Europa League before leaving for AS Roma in the summer of 2014.
