Chelsea legend Ashley Cole has revealed who his favourite manager was during his time with the Blues between 2006-2014. It is not Jose Mourinho.
The self-proclaimed ‘Special One’ Mourinho is widely considered to be one of the greatest Chelsea managers of all-time, having led the club to three Premier League titles, one FA Cup and three League Cups across two stints.
Despite being an undoubtedly talented manager who has also tasted success with Real Madrid, FC Porto and Inter Milan, Mourinho has been criticized for his attitude and the way in which he interacts with others around him including players and staff. The 56-year-old tends to not stay at clubs beyond three seasons. Most recently, he was sacked by Manchester United last December after reports emerged suggesting that he had a strained relationship with a number of United’s first-team stars notably Paul Pogba.
When discussing his favourite managers at Chelsea, Cole snubbed Mourinho and instead stated that he liked Luis Felipe Scolari and Carlo Ancelotti.
Chelsea football club is known for being a harsh environment for managers, with very few lasting at the club beyond two seasons. Scolari was appointed as manager of the team in 2008 and was sacked in February 2009 after the team struggled for consistency. In spite of this, many do feel that the tactician who led Brazil to 2002 World Cup glory should have been given more time.
Ancelotti tasted more success when he managed the club from 2009-2011. He led the West London giants to one Premier League title and an FA Cup during his reign. Many view Ancelotti’s sacking from the club as harsh as the team won 67 out of his 109 games in charge.
When asked about his favourite Chelsea managers, Cole told Sky Sports Monday Night Football: “I enjoyed Scolari and [Carlo] Ancelotti – they’re probably my favourite two.
“Scolari came at a time where I probably wasn’t playing as well as I knew I could when I first came to Chelsea, and the fans will agree with me that I wasn’t the Ashley Cole they knew at Arsenal. He came and brought this new lease of life, it was just like playing for Brazil. He had me bombing up and down against people like Jamie Carragher, and Jose Bosingwa was on the other side.
“We had no rules in terms of we could go and play where we wanted, the left and right-backs were going at the same time, which is unheard of at times, and we were playing some great football.
“By December, we petered out and after that, he got the sack. It was the best football we played in a Chelsea shirt but he got the sack six months later.”
