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Money not my motivation: Cole
Ashley Cole says he moved to Chelsea in order to win trophies with the English champions.
- Indo-Asian News Service
- Updated: February 25, 2007 10:36 AM IST
Read Time:3 min
London:
Ashley Cole says his move to Chelsea had nothing to do with money, and he turned down the chance to join Real Madrid in order to win trophies with the English champions. The former Arsenal defender spurned the Spanish league side to join cross-town rival Blues because "they have won the league for two years running" and "can win more medals and the Champions League". "With the players they have brought in like (Andrei) Shevchenko and (Michael) Ballack, they are a very ambitious team," the England international said on Friday on Chelsea's television station. "They have won the league for two years running and have a great captain in John Terry and a lot of English players ... It made it easier for my decision." Cole moved to Stamford Bridge in a 5-million-pound swap that saw France defender William Gallas move to the Gunners in what has been the Premier League's longest running transfer saga. The England international signed a five-year deal, worth a reported 80,000 pounds a week, but claimed money was not the motive for his move. "I've come here because I want to win things and I have a good chance of winning things at Chelsea," Cole said at a press conference on Friday. "It had nothing to do with money and greed and not being loyal." Cole's future with Arsenal had been in doubt ever since he was photographed with Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho at a London hotel in January 2005. He was fined 100,000 pounds for breaking Premier League transfer rules. Cole sat out all of Arsenal's pre-transfer deadline games - including a 1-0 loss to Manchester City - after manager Arsene Wenger waited for a resolution to the player's future. "Arsene has been great to me. He has always been supportive, even up to the last days of the transfer," Cole said. Wenger said he was waiting for the right deal before he would release Cole, and believes the move was good for both clubs. "He wanted to go and I promised him that he could," Wenger said on Friday. "It was not with the condition of getting another player in but just that we got the right price." Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho admitted at the Cole's press conference he was "scared" the deal would fall through, calling it a "difficult transfer" because it involved such big clubs. "When a player doesn't go to the best club in the world, to the club of the century, the club with the most important history in football and he comes to Chelsea, I don't need to ask him why," Mourinho said of Real Madrid's interest. "The reasons are very clear. He believes in us and he believes he can be happy here." Mourinho said the Blues have "the best two English left-backs" in Cole and Wayne Bridge, and brushed off the thought the team would miss the departed Gallas. "Since the start of the season, I have had no Gallas, so I can't say I have lost a player. I never had a player," Mourinho said. Cole, who has been in Arsenal's first team since 2000, joined the north London side as a youth player but was relishing a new challenge after having "done my time at Arsenal". Cole is set to make his debut for Chelsea on Saturday against Charlton. He will face his former teammates for the first time on December 10, when Arsenal travels across London to Stamford Bridge. (AP)Topics mentioned in this article
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