Deflated coach Henk ten Cate has declared he is going to have a “good talk about my future” during the coming days and intimated about the widely-rumoured internal discord at fallen top-flight kings Al Jazira, in the wake of a 2-0 Year of Zayed Arabian Gulf Super Cup loss to Al Wahda.
Ten Cate, 63, has performed miracles since he joined the then-relegation-threatened Pride of Abu Dhabi in December 2015. A first President’s Cup since 2011/12 was delivered at the end of that season, this being followed up by a record-breaking run to the 2016/17 Arabian Gulf League’s title.
But this term has been detailed by reported problems within the club, evidenced, in part, by the bitter contractual dispute which last week saw UAE hot shot Ahmed Khalil exit to rivals Al Ain on a free transfer six months since his heralded recruitment.
When quizzed about the reasons behind Saturday night’s chastening reversal, the ex-Barcelona and Chelsea assistant replied: “It is difficult to speak.
“I am not the person to speak about this. But it is like asking a question you already know.
“I smile again. But I cannot continue saying these things.
“It’s like a gramophone, the needle sticks in one place.
“It is the same story, over and over again. I am really serious now.
“I am going to have a good talk about my future.”
This response followed an initial benign probing into the result. This delivered an excoriating – and scarcely disguised – response.
He said: “Do you have a week? It is up to them now.
“The lack of communication to the public creates wrong expectations, this is what happened. This is not for me to say.
“It is not my job to talk about it. I said so many times that things are beyond my reach, beyond my control – I said this a lot of times.”
Jazira are a distant fifth in the AGL, 11 points off the pace. They are next scheduled to host minnows Dibba Al Fujairah on Wednesday.
