Ten Cate will not work under Grant
Political tensions at Stamford Bridge may be re-emerging. Where once Jose Mourinho’s Portuguese faction faced a Dutch-Danish group headed by Arnesen, it appears there may now be Israeli - as represented by Grant and the agent Pini Zahavi - and Dutch-Danish interests.Chelsea yesterday reissued a statement from Roman Abramovich’s Moscow office that had been released after Mourinho’s departure last month. “Information that Mr Abramovich is preparing to, or already has, offered Guus Hiddink a management post at Chelsea is untrue,” it read. “On the contrary, Mr Abramovich is very pleased the Russian Football Union has offered to renew Mr Hiddink’s contract until 2010.”Hiddink’s agent, Cees van Nieuwenhuizen, refused to comment beyond reiterating that he remained in talks with the Russian federation. One Chelsea insider said that Grant would be the club’s manager “for years to come”.Ten Cate has not been offered a job and no approach has been made to Ajax. It is believed the Dutch club have a succession plan that would see the Holland coach, Marco van Basten, installed. They would not stand in Ten Cate’s way if he left.Sources say Abramovich is determined to ensure Chelsea remain at the top of the English game. “He’ll do whatever it takes to make it work,” said one insider. “He wanted rid of Jose Mourinho because it was all about Jose Mourinho; he’d had enough of that. He knew it would be unpopular but he has never been more determined to make it right: his reputation is at stake.”The way he was celebrating the goals [in the 2-1 win in Valencia] on Wednesday night shows that Chelsea still means the world to him.”
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