Ashley Cole opens up on ‘leap of faith’ after Chelsea icon lands surprise job

Ashley Cole opens up on ‘leap of faith’ after Chelsea icon lands surprise jobAshley Cole was surprisingly appointed as head coach of Serie B side Cesena last month and has now revealed the fight he has faced in order to secure his first managerial jobCommentsSportDaniel Orme Sports Writer09:21, 17 Apr 2026View 2 ImagesAshley Cole was appointed as Cesena boss last month(Image: Getty Images)Chelsea icon Ashley Cole says he was left ‘discouraged’ by a lack of job opportunities within English football ahead of his surprise move to Cesena. The former England left-back was appointed as the Serie B club’s head coach last month in what is his first managerial job.‌Cole has won one of his four games so far at the helm, that run of form leaving Cesena sitting eighth in the second tier of Italian football. In explaining his decision to move to Italy, Cole has suggested that he was forced to look abroad after being left frustrated with the opportunities on offer in England.‌"I was getting kind of discouraged by a lack of opportunities, from some clubs in England I spoke to," Cole said to BBC Sport. “They like to throw the 'you don't have experience' line. And I'm like, I get what you're saying, I agree - but how am I going to get experience?‌"That's the battle you have to fight as a number two for six or seven years - you have to take a leap of faith, but a club also has to take a leap of faith.READ MORE: Chelsea ready to SELL Alejandro Garnacho after star's shock Man Utd U-turnREAD MORE: Chelsea fans pen open letter hammering owners for vision amid breakdown in trustFOLLOW OUR CHELSEA FB PAGE! Latest Blues news and more on our dedicated Facebook page"I don't think there are too many black English coaches working in Italy, so yes, it is a massive leap of faith from them and I'm very proud to be here.‌"It is a great place to be and to start. I'm glad I'm back. We're going to do something differe...