Coach Henk ten Cate has departed Greek club Panathinaikos by mutual consent in a surprise exit.
Dutch manager leaves club by mutual consent
Coach Henk ten Cate has departed Greek club Panathinaikos by mutual consent in a surprise exit.
The Dutch tactician, a former assistant manager at Chelsea, has led the Athens club to 10 wins in 13 league matches so far this season and the Greens are only one point off league leaders Olympiakos, while they are second in Europa League Group F.
Ten Cate took control of the club in June last year but in an unexpected move he has now been replaced by Greece Under-21 coach Nikos Nioplias.
A statement on the Panathinaikos
official website said: "Panathinaikos announces that following a meeting between the chairman, Mr Nikolaos Pateras and the coach of the team, Henk ten Cate, that they have agreed to end the collaboration."
Despite the fact the club are well-placed in their bid to win a first league title since 2004, Ten Cate has been criticised by sections of the supporters and the media for his perceived constant tinkering with players and formations.
A statement from Ten Cate said: "It was an honour for me to coach Panathinaikos and the results we had backed up my work.
"I have laid the foundations for the team. I respect the fact that certain people can not be pleased with the complete picture but myself and the staff gave everything to be successful.
"The decision of the chairman will not influence the friendship we developed.
"Finally, I would like to thank all the fans of Panathinaikos for their support and I hope that the team wins the title."
