Serie B club 

Ashley Cole appointed by Cesena - Chelsea icon heads to Italy for first managerial test

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Former Arsenal and Chelsea defender Ashley Cole has been appointed as the new head coach of Italian outfit Cesena FC. The England icon has penned a contract until June 30, 2026, with an option to extend based upon fulfilling objectives set out by the Serie B club. He replaces Michele Mignani, who was dismissed over the weekend.

Cole has already finalised his backroom staff, which will include bringing in Jack Mesure as his assistant, Giorgio D’Urbano as fitness trainer, Paolo Stringara and Nicola Capellini as technical coaches, and Federico Agliardi as goalkeeping coach.

A club statement released on Sunday confirmed the news. It read: “The entire Cesena FC family is thrilled to welcome manager Ashley Cole to lead the Bianconeri first team and extends a warm welcome to him and his staff in Cesena, wishing them all the best of luck in this new adventure.”

Ashley Cole appointed by Cesena

He joins Cesena at a difficult time, with the team currently on a run of six games without a victory and sitting eighth in Serie B following their 2-2 draw with Frosinone on Saturday. If Cole guides them to winning promotion to the Serie A, he could become the 12th Englishman to manage in the division – and the first since Roy Hodgson with Inter Milan back in 1995.

A new adventure in Italy awaits Cole as he embarks upon his first permanent role in management. The 45-year-old has worked as an assistant coach at Chelsea, Everton, Birmingham City and Derby County, and at international level with the England Under-21s beside Lee Carsley. Cole also temporarily moved up to working with the senior setup when Carsley was appointed interim head coach following Gareth Southgate’s departure last year.

Cole is one of the most decorated English footballers of all time. During his 15 seasons with Arsenal and Chelsea, he won 14 domestic trophies, including three Premier League titles and seven FA Cups, setting a record for the latter competition that remains unbroken to this day. On the European stage, however, he has won both major continental trophies, claiming the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Europa League while playing for Chelsea. He also won 107 caps playing for the Three Lions.