ABN Amro chairman Rijkman Groenink has warned his staff the uncertainty surrounding a potential takeover of the bank will drag on for months, even though he expects a Dutch court ruling on the sale of a crucial division within weeks.

Speaking in an internal interview posted on ABN's intranet news service, Groenink said: "Unfortunately the uncertainty we find ourselves in is likely to continue over the coming months, as there are still several steps ahead."