Blues to appoint ten Cate
10 Oct 2007 - 17:23:57
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- Blues to appoint ten Cate
Chelsea are set to appoint Henk ten Cate as their new assistant first-team coach 'within the next 24 hours'.
On Monday the Ajax coach had been given the green light to move to Stamford Bridge after the Dutch side confirmed they had reached an agreement with the Blues about the 52-year-old's future.
The former assistant to Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard had been manager Avram Grant's first choice to work with him at Stamford Bridge.
Ten Cate will work alongside existing number two Steve Clarke in Grant's new-look backroom staff.
"Chelsea Football Club has reached agreement with Ajax for the release of Henk ten Cate," confirmed a club statement.
"We expect to finalise his contract in the next 24 hours as assistant first-team coach."
Ten Cate has had a long coaching career in his homeland, taking charge of Go Ahead Eagles, SC Heracles, Sparta Rotterdam, NAC Breda and Vitesse.
He also spent the 1999-2000 campaign coaching Hungarian side MTK Hungaria before teaming up with Rijkaard at Barcelona in 2003.
He left the Camp Nou last year to replace Danny Blind as Ajax manager.