Matchday Menu: Joe Cole makes his Champions League picks
Monday, February 10, 2025
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Former Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole features in the latest episode of the Just Eat Matchday Menu series.
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Former Chelsea and England creator Joe Cole reveals his favoured gameday meals and looks ahead to the knockout phase play-offs of the UEFA Champions League in the latest episode of the Just Eat Matchday Menu series.
Cole's Matchday Menu
A Londoner born and bred, it's no surprise to find out what was on Cole's post-match menu to celebrate a successful outing during his Chelsea days. "I used to like going out to eat after a game – we always felt we deserved it," he says. "On a few occasions with Chelsea, there was a Pie and Mash shop, which is traditional London food. I used to treat the guys on the coach home."
But if he had to pick any food to represent the sweet taste of success? His cheat meal would be a much meatier fare. "It has to be a burger," he states. "I'm very specific. I like a brioche bun, very soft. The patty, the beef, real good quality. A nice cheddar cheese, nothing too tricky there, and sliced gherkins. Some nice onions but not cooked too much – still got that kick to them – and a little bit of ketchup, spread on the bun so it's not spilling all over."
Team-mates with appetite
Cole not only had the privilege of lining up alongside some of European football's greats on the pitch, but also at the dinner table. And some of their eating habits stick in his memory. "JT [John Terry] at Chelsea was very, very superstitious," he notes. "He had a routine, which a lot of defenders and a lot of captains do. He would only have five potatoes. So he would be at the buffet moving the potatoes around, if he was hungry, to find a big one to put on his plate."
But which of his former colleagues were the most voracious? "I remember Jimmy Floyd [Hasselbaink] putting some food away but Rio Ferdinand – I've never seen a guy eat as much food as him," says Cole. "Sometimes you'd be queuing up to get the buffet, and I didn't know whether he would eat it or climb it! There was so much of it on the plate. Rio just ate so much and was always trim, which was annoying."
Matchday Menu
Must-watch match: Manchester City vs Real Madrid
On to the Champions League knockout phase play-offs, and there is one tie that has Cole salivating. "Pick of the play-off fixtures for me is clearly Manchester City versus Real Madrid," he says. "Real Madrid with Rodrygo back into the fore, looking a lot stronger. Manchester City, on the other hand, finding it a little bit more difficult to come out of their bad run."
"I think the problem with Manchester City is there's a big gap in the counterattack so teams are transitioning on them. By the time they play Real Madrid, if you don't deal with that, when you've got Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior, Rodrygo, Bellingham on the counterattack, I would fancy Real Madrid," he adds. "I have an idea of how both teams will play, and I think the game will be won by a manager switching it and tweaking it. It’s intriguing on so many levels."
Player to watch: Bradley Barcola (Paris)
Brest versus Paris is only the second all-French knockout tie in Champions League history and 22-year-old Barcola has filled some big shoes already according to Cole. "You're replacing Kylian Mbappé, who's been an absolute legend, directly into his position," he says. "Very similar type of players and he's taken Ligue 1 by storm. I think he'll grow into this Champions League."
Could the talented forward lead Paris deep into the competition, perhaps even to a maiden Champions League triumph? "I've got a sneaky feeling that Paris will have something to say," says Cole. "I think they've got the right manager in and they've got the right mentality. I'm not saying they'll win it but I think they're a big problem for anyone they play."
