Ashley Cole will join Frank Lampard's interim staff at Chelsea
Getting the gang back together! Ashley Cole will re-join Frank Lampard in the dugout on his surprise return as interim Chelsea manager, along with fellow ex-Everton coaches Joe Edwards and Chris Jones
- Ashley Cole will join Frank Lampard in the Chelsea dugout in his return
- Lampard will take over as interim manager after Graham Potter’s departure
- Chris Jones and Joe Edwards will also join Cole as Lampard’s backroom staff
Frank Lampard will have another Chelsea favourite Ashley Cole alongside him in the dugout following his surprise return until the end of the season.
Chelsea were on Friday finalising the changeover of backroom staff after sacking Graham Potter last weekend and reappointing Lampard on a temporary basis.
He will be joined by Cole, linking up with Lampard again after being away in Italy this week, plus Chris Jones and Joe Edwards.
All three have previously worked with Lampard, whose second reign begins at Wolves on Sunday, and they were together as a quartet at Everton.
Cole was not on Lampard’s first-team staff during his previous 18-month stint as Chelsea manager that ended in January 2021 but was part of the club’s youth set up at the time.
Frank Lampard (left) will be joined in the dugout by former teammate Ashley Cole
Lampard was appointed Chelsea’s interim manager after Graham Potter was sacked
He’ll welcome Cole (right) into his coaching staff after the pair worked together at Everton
Potter’s No.2 Billy Reid left with him though Bruno Saltor, Bjorn Hamberg and goalkeeper coach Ben Roberts were kept on to help prepare and take the team for Tuesday’s goalless draw with Liverpool.
However Potter was Bruno’s coaching mentor and the difficulty of the situation for the Spaniard was evident while Lampard will now be joined by his own team of trusted assistants.
Chelsea paid £21.5m to prise Potter, Reid, Hamberg, Bruno, Roberts and recruitment specialist Kyle Macaulay out of Brighton in September.
Potter’s departure has meant more coaching-related costs for Chelsea’s owners following on the sum in excess of £10m required to dismiss Thomas Tuchel and his team in September.
Potter was less than seven months into his five-year deal worth around £12m-a-year and while he is not due to receive the remainder in full, his pay off was described as significant.
A fourth coaching team of the Todd Boehly/Clearlake Capital regime is then due to arrive in the summer.
Lampard has been put in temporary charge while Chelsea continue their ‘exhaustive’ search for a permanent replacement for Potter.
Positive talks have already taken place, including with main contenders, out-of-work duo Julian Nagelsmann and Luis Enrique who are both keen on the job.
Lampard will welcome Chris Jones (left) and Joe Edwards (second right) to his backroom staff
Chelsea are keen to carry out an ‘exhaustive’ managerial search with Lampard at the helm
Luis Enrique (left) and Julian Nagelsmann (right) are two favourites who could replace Potter
Co-sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart are spearheading the process with Nagelsmann’s hopes enhanced by having key supporters among the Chelsea hierarchy.
They are, though, keen to carry out a detailed managerial search and not rush the process.
That could see them speak to at least five managers as they do their thorough due diligence.
Chelsea face Real Madrid in the Champions League last eight and their manager Carlo Ancelotti has been linked with a return to Stamford Bridge but is not among the names in contention to replace Potter.
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