Mark Hughes has insisted that Manchester City's takeover by Arab owners has not placed Tal Ben Haim's position at the club in jeopardy. There has been speculation in the Middle East over the Israeli defender's future.
The United Arab Emirates does not recognise Israel and Abu Dhabi's ruling Al Nahyan family, who should secure a 90% stake in City over the next week, were responsible for setting up the Zayed Centre for Coordination and Follow-Up, which was accused of sanctioning the publication of antisemitic material and hosting antisemitic speakers before the UAE government closed it down in 2003.
According to the Anti-Defamation League, a pro-Israel pressure group, speakers described Jewish people as "enemies of all nations" and "cheaters whose greed knows no bounds". That is unlikely to sit easily with the strong Jewish element of City's support.
The issue has not been addressed by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, City's owner-in-waiting, or Dr Sulaiman Al Fahim, the billionaire businessman who initially acted as the Abu Dhabi United Group's spokesman. Hughes, however, has said he expects total control of "football decisions". Asked if Ben Haim's position could be in doubt, he said: "It is not something that has been highlighted to me. I understand [the question] but I wouldn't expect that to be case." Despite that, the central defender will not be allowed into Abu Dhabi if the club's owners want their new team to take part in a promotional match or tour. A mid-season training camp has already been mooted.
Petr Cech has said Chelsea are determined to show Robinho he made a mistake in joining City ahead of the Blues when the two sides meet tomorrow. "In the morning he says he loves Chelsea and he wants to be part of Chelsea and a few hours later he signs for another club," he said. "He needs to play well for City and we want to show him on Saturday he made a decision that is not perfect for him really. He's a great player so for the league maybe he is good but we will see how he's going to cope with the pressure now."
