Ten Cate names first Ajax team

New AFC Ajax coach Henk ten Cate has named his backroom team after signing a two-year contract with the 2006/07 UEFA Champions League hopefuls.

Able assistants
The 51-year-old coach, who helped FC Barcelona to win the UEFA Champions League this season as assistant to coach Frank Rijkaard, has named Hennie Spijkerman and Alfons Groenendijk as the new additions to his staff, with goalkeeping coach Fred Grim keeping the position he held under Ten Cate's predecessor Danny Blind. Ten Cate has chosen familiar faces to help him, with the 42-year-old Groenendijk - formerly youth team coach at Ajax - having played under him at Sparta Rotterdam. Meanwhile, Ten Cate was Spijkerman's assistant during the 55-year-old's spell as coach of Go Ahead Eagles in the 1980s.

Roles reversed
Formerly coach of VVV Venlo, FC Emmen and FC Zwolle, who he left in January, Spijkerman has no problem with swapping roles with his former assistant, saying: "In the end, you want to work with the best players as a coach so I have no problem with being an assistant." Meanwhile, Ten Cate set his agenda for what he hopes to achieve at Ajax, saying: "We have to be in the championship race until the final day and we have to do that through playing attractive football. We will have to get a balanced squad with a lot of quality."