Cole agrees new Chelsea deal

Ashley Cole has agreed a new one-year deal at Chelsea.



The news ends speculation that the England left-back would leave Stamford Bridge on a free transfer when his contract expired at the end of the season.

He had been linked with moves to Real Madrid and Paris St Germain but has decided to stay at the club he joined in 2006, with the paperwork expected to completed before Tuesday.

The defender, who has 99 England caps, was part of the team that beat Bayern Munich to win last year's Champions League final, and has also won one Premier League title, four FA Cups and a League Cup with Chelsea.



His team-mate Frank Lampard is also out of contract at the end of this campaign but looks set to depart the west London club.




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PSG deny contact with Ashley Cole

Paris Saint-Germain have rubbished reports that they will attempt to lure Ashley Cole away from Chelsea during the January transfer window.



Cole is out of contract at Stamford Bridge at the end of the season, and interim boss Rafael Benitez appeared to reveal during one of his opening press conferences as manager that the England defender would depart the Blues in the summer.



Benitez has since moved to clarify those comments, suggesting Cole could stay at Chelsea beyond his existing deal, but neither Cole nor Frank Lampard - another in his final year - have yet agreed new terms.



Big-spending PSG are currently managed by Carlo Ancelotti, who previously coached Cole during his time at Chelsea. But sporting director Leonardo insists any report of a move in the transfer market is based purely on that link.



"We have never spoken with Ashley Cole, there has never been any contact," Leonardo told the media.



"Carlo was his coach at Chelsea, that's why that story is doing the rounds."



Leonardo also quashed talk of a move for Wesley Sneijder, saying: "Sincerely, we have never contacted Wesley Sneijder to come to PSG - we have five players in his position already."



Lampard was Chelsea's match-winner in their Sunday trip to Everton, scoring both goals in a 2-1 win, but says he remains in the dark as to whether he will be offered new terms at the club.



"At the minute there is nothing been said and my contract's till the summer," Lampard told the BBC. "I'm enjoying playing, I'm working hard in training, I'm loving being part of the team and the ability we've got in the team.



"That's all I can tell you at the minute, and that's fair enough for me, I'm happy just to keep playing well and contributing to winning games."

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Benítez: Lampard and Cole are on their way out

Rafael Benitez has revealed he expects Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole to leave Chelsea in the summer.



Benitez has signed a short-term contract at Stamford Bridge and has adopted a squad that boasts several players with uncertain futures.



Both Cole and Lampard are yet to clarify what their careers hold when their contracts expire, with Cole so far only offered a one-year deal. Lampard has not received a fresh offer and has been linked with moves to China or the US.



Asked if he believes the players, both Champions League winners, will leave in the summer, Benitez said in the Guardian: "I think so.



"I don't have all the information and it's not fair to tell me I'm only here for seven months and then expect me to have an influence at the club over the next two or three years, but I think that's the case at the moment."



Benitez claims he does not enjoy mind games, but that did not stop him taking part in them during his first Friday press conference as he placed Arsene Wenger ahead of Sir Alex Ferguson as a manager.



On his first full day in the Chelsea job, the Spaniard was greeted with a typical barb from his old sparring partner Ferguson, who claimed he was "lucky" to be in a position to win a second Club World Cup.



Benitez, however, responded by talking about how he ranked Wenger above the Manchester United manager when he first came to England, and that any such comments were only in reply to other managers "pushing him".



"No, I don't enjoy that [mind games]. I enjoy my team playing well and winning games. I have to defend my team, my club, so I cannot wait while they push and push," Benitez said.



"You're playing to win trophies, and only one can win it. Some managers in the middle of the table can be friendly, but only one wins it. People try to win in different ways. I like to respect people, but sometimes I cannot because they push you...



"There are a lot of good managers in the world, many who have won trophies. I don't like to talk about other managers.



"When I came to England I knew the other managers. Arsene Wenger was the best manager who had been here for a while. But I cannot talk about these things every day."

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Ashley Cole has no problem with Rio Ferdinand

Ashley Cole has issued a statement stressing that he is "good friends" with Rio Ferdinand after the Manchester United defender appeared to mock his decision to support John Terry in court.



Cole appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court in support of his Chelsea team-mate after Terry was accused of a racially aggravated public order offence towards Ferdinand's brother, QPR defender Anton.



Terry was found not guilty on Friday.



A Twitter user subsequently wrote a message to Rio Ferdinand suggesting Cole, who told the court he was a long-standing friend of the Ferdinand brothers, was a "choc ice". The term is commonly understood to mean "black on the outside, white on the inside".



The Twitter user said: "Looks like Ashley Cole's going to be their choc ice. Then again he's always been a sell out. Shame on him."



Ferdinand tweeted in response: "I hear you fella! Choc ice is classic! hahahahahahha!!"



The Manchester United player then responded to criticism of his remark by writing: "And if I want to laugh at something someone tweets....I will! Hahahahaha! Now stop getting ya knickers in a twist!"



Cole, who has played regularly alongside Rio Ferdinand and Terry for England, then issued a response through his lawyers.



It read: "Ashley Cole has been made aware of the discussion following comments appearing on Twitter and wishes to make it clear that he and Rio Ferdinand are good friends and Ashley has no intention of making any sort of complaint.



"Ashley appreciates that tweeting is so quick it often results in off-hand and stray comments."

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FA: Twitter abuse unacceptable

The Football Association has labelled Twitter attacks on England stars Ashley Young and Ashley Cole as "appalling and unacceptable''.



Cole and Young both missed penalties in Sunday night's quarter-final shootout against Italy as the Three Lions exited the tournament, and were subsequently subjected to abuse on Twitter.



"We are concerned at the reports regarding allegations of abuse aimed at England players Ashley Cole and Ashley Young on Twitter,'' an FA statement read.



"They have just given everything for the national team at Euro 2012 and it is appalling and unacceptable that messages of an abusive type are being posted. We support any police investigation in identifying who is behind this.''



A Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) spokesman said: "We are aware of alleged racist comments on Twitter following last night's England game and have launched an investigation.



"The allegation was made to MPS on 25 June by a member of the public relating to comments on a Twitter account supposedly based in London.



No arrests have been made at this early stage. The MPS is examining possible offences under Section 18/19 Public Order Act 1986.''



The Twitter user in question made derogatory comments towards Young and Cole, but later wrote: "All I got to say is this was just a joke, you guys need to relax, police know i was kiddin around and they won't bother me hopefully, cheers.''



A Welsh student, Liam Stacey, was jailed for 56 days earlier this year for racially abusing Bolton midfielder Fabrice Muamba after he collapsed on the pitch against Tottenham Hotspur.

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