Ten Cate left stunned by Chelsea sacking

HENK TEN Cate was left stunned by Chelsea's decision to remove him from his post of assistant manager yesterday and believes he has been let down by the chief executive, Peter Kenyon.

Ten Cate, who moved to Stamford Bridge from Ajax last October, had told reporters in his native Netherlands Kenyon had assured him that despite Saturday's sacking of Avram Grant as manager, he would remain an integral part of the coaching vision.

"Half an hour before Chelsea made the announcement about Grant officially known, I was called by Kenyon," he said. "He informed me that the departure of Grant will not affect me."

But when Kenyon called Ten Cate to a meeting yesterday morning, it was not to discuss how he would dovetail with Grant's successor. Kenyon fired him, bringing to an end the Dutchman's eventful spell at the club. Ten Cate is one of the game's more abrasive characters and got off on the wrong foot with a certain faction in the dressingroom when he refused to perform the initiation song which is demanded of new recruits.

Having made it clear he did not respect protocol or reputations, he proceeded to ruffle feathers. He hit the headlines at the time of the League Cup final defeat by Tottenham Hotspur for having had a training-ground row with John Terry, the captain, on the eve of the game. Tensions simmered between him and senior players.

Chelsea did not see a place for Ten Cate in their new managerial set-up because the next head coach will be invited to bring in his own backroom staff. That could be construed as ominous for Steve Clarke, the other assistant manager, who has ambitions to strike out on his own in management, although his status as a Chelsea institution, having also served as a player, renders him a special case.

"As a result of the team management changes at Chelsea FC, and in the light of any forthcoming appointment, it was clear this was the correct decision for all parties," the club said.

Ten Cate was under the impression when he joined that Grant, who succeeded Jose Mourinho last September, would not be the long-term incumbent and would be replaced by the Russia coach, Guus Hiddink, after Euro 2008. Ten Cate, who had a lucrative contract to 2010 which he expects to be paid in full, had several evaluations pertaining to his work and felt he had the support of the hierarchy.

Ten Cate came to Chelsea's attention after his work as Frank Rijkaard's assistant at Barcelona. He was credited with getting the best out of Ronaldinho, the Brazil forward.

Rijkaard has been linked with the Chelsea vacancy and it was tempting to rule him out in view of Ten Cate's dismissal. However, the relationship between the two is not what it was and had started to erode before Ten Cate left for the Ajax manager's job in the summer of 2006.

Carlo Ancelotti, the Milan manager, has become the latest figure to be linked with the Chelsea post. Another fancied candidate, Roberto Mancini, faces a messy legal battle after his dismissal by Internazionale. Mancini had four years remaining of contract worth €6 million (£4.7m) a year and refused to accept the €5 million severance package that the club proposed yesterday. He would only have accepted if he had another job on a similar salary to walk into; he has heard nothing from Chelsea.

Inter instructed their lawyers to investigate Mancini for potential breach of contract, highlighting his comments after the Champions League exit against Liverpool on March 11th, when he stated that he would walk away at the end of the season.

This, the club feel, gave them carte blanche to line up another manager, which they have done in Mourinho, and last night they forced the issue by announcing Mancini's sacking after two days of prevarication. They believe they will be able to unveil Mourinho but Mancini will fight for the money he feels he is due.

Guardian Service