Chelsea have used Ashley Cole’s goodbye letter to aim a sly dig at London rivals Arsenal.
The Blues posted a lengthy letter on their website and Social Media accounts, with Cole, along with a fellow member of the old guard Frank Lampard, officially leaving Chelsea today.
However Chelsea took a rather bizarre turn by slating their London rivals in the letter, a club who Cole had spent eight years at before departing to the Blues in 2006.
The letter in full read.
“Chelsea Football Club today says goodbye to Ashley Cole, a player who contributed enormously to the highly successfully period in our history in which we were crowned champions of Europe and won the League and Cup double for the first time,” the statement started
“His remarkably consistent high level of performance was always appreciated by the Chelsea support, who welcomed him to Stamford Bridge even though he joined from big London rivals Arsenal, with William Gallas moving the other way as part of a transfer-deadline-day deal in August 2006.
“Cole has had no reason to regret his switch across the capital, collecting winners’ medals for the Champions League, the Premier League, the Europa League, the League Cup, the Community Shield and the FA Cup four times, taking him to his all-time record seven wins in that competition’s long history.
“Arsenal without Cole did not lift silverware until this year’s FA Cup final a week after he played his final Chelsea game.”
By Ben Reardon
@BenReardon1