Erik ten Hag has been sensationally sacked by Bayer Leverkusen after just two Bundesliga matches in charge, marking the Dutchman’s second dismissal in less than 10 months following his Manchester United exit.
The German club confirmed the 55-year-old’s departure on Monday morning, with assistant coaches taking temporary charge as Leverkusen scramble to find a replacement during the international break. Ten Hag’s tenure lasted just 19 days from the season opener to his dismissal.
“Bayer 04 Leverkusen has parted ways with head coach Erik ten Hag with immediate effect,” the club announced on social media platform X. Training will be taken over by the assistant coaching staff for the time being.
The decision came after Leverkusen threw away a 3-1 lead to draw 3-3 with 10-man Werder Bremen on Saturday, following an opening day 2-1 home defeat to Hoffenheim. The collapse against Bremen, who played with a numerical disadvantage for the final 30 minutes, proved to be the final straw for club executives.
Simon Rolfes, Leverkusen’s sporting director, acknowledged the difficulty of the decision but deemed it necessary. “This decision was not an easy one for us. Nobody wanted to take this step,” he stated. “However, the past few weeks have shown that building a new and successful team with this setup is not feasible.”
Ten Hag had replaced Xabi Alonso in May, signing a two-year contract after the Spaniard departed for Real Madrid following his historic unbeaten domestic double. However, the Dutchman inherited a squad decimated by high-profile departures during the summer transfer window.
Key players including Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong both joined Liverpool, while other integral squad members such as Granit Xhaka, Jonathan Tah, Amine Adli, Odilon Kossounou, and goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky also left the BayArena. The constant exodus created an impossible situation for the new manager.
We firmly believe in the quality of our team and will now do everything we can to take the next steps in our development with a new setup,” Rolfes added, attempting to project optimism despite the chaos.
Football fans reacted with disbelief to the rapid dismissal, with many pointing to the unfairness of the situation. “A bit unfair tbh! Sold all the best players and got rid of him after the entire summer window?” one supporter commented on social media.
Another fan expressed shock at the timeline: “He didn’t even last one month into the new season fgs.” A third simply called the decision “ridiculous,” while others suggested Ten Hag’s managerial career was “finished.”
The problems became evident during Saturday’s collapse against Bremen. Leverkusen captain Robert Andrich delivered a scathing assessment of the team’s performance, revealing deep-rooted issues within the squad.
“Everyone played for themselves, everyone ran around the pitch on their own,” Andrich stated post-match. “We have too many players who are preoccupied with other things or only with themselves. I don’t know if I’ve ever experienced that at Bayer.”
Ten Hag himself had acknowledged the challenges, telling reporters after the Bremen draw: “The players aren’t ready. After the international break, we face real competition and must perform as a team. That begins with taking responsibility and delivering individual performances.”
Sources close to the club revealed that Ten Hag’s conservative tactical approach failed to mesh with players accustomed to Alonso’s attacking philosophy. The stark contrast in styles, combined with the personnel turnover, created an untenable situation.
Fernando Carro, Leverkusen’s CEO, admitted the pain of such an early separation but defended the decision. “A parting of ways at this early stage of the season is painful, but we felt it was necessary. We remain committed to achieving our goals for the season – and to do that, we need the best possible conditions at all levels and across the entire first team.”
The dismissal represents a stunning fall from grace for Ten Hag, who was considered one of Europe’s most exciting coaches during his Ajax tenure. His achievement in guiding the Dutch club to the Champions League semi-finals in 2018-19 earned him the Manchester United job in 2022.
At Old Trafford, Ten Hag’s first season brought relative success with a third-place Premier League finish and Carabao Cup triumph. However, United’s form plummeted in his second year, finishing eighth despite FA Cup glory against Manchester City in May 2024.
He received a contract extension after the FA Cup win but was sacked in October following a dismal start to the 2024-25 campaign. His replacement, Ruben Amorim, has also struggled, with United collecting just four points from nine and suffering a Carabao Cup exit to Grimsby Town.
Ten Hag’s rapid dismissal at Leverkusen sets an unwanted record for the briefest tenure in the club’s Bundesliga history. Previous short-lived appointments pale in comparison to his 19-day stint from season start to sacking.
The timing leaves Leverkusen in a precarious position as they search for their third manager in four months. The international break provides a two-week window to identify and appoint a replacement before Bundesliga action resumes.
Potential candidates will need to navigate the challenging task of integrating numerous new signings while competing without the star players who drove last season’s success. The club’s ability to attract a high-calibre replacement may be hampered by the brutal treatment of Ten Hag.
For Ten Hag, the dismissal raises serious questions about his future in top-level management. Two high-profile sackings within 10 months, despite winning trophies at both clubs, suggests his methods may no longer resonate in modern football.
The Dutchman now faces a crucial period of reflection and must decide whether to pursue another immediate opportunity or take time to reassess his approach. His reputation, once golden after Ajax’s European exploits, requires significant rehabilitation.
Leverkusen’s hasty decision reflects the unforgiving nature of modern football, where even decorated coaches receive minimal time to implement their vision. The club’s next appointment will be closely scrutinised as they attempt to salvage a season that began with championship ambitions but has quickly descended into crisis.
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Image Credit:
Открытая тренировка «Аякса» перед матчем с «Динамо». 27 августа 2018 года (Open training session of Ajax before the match against Dynamo, 27 August 2018) — photo by Olga Shcherbytska, taken on 27 August 2018. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0), attribution to ТОВ “Динамоманія”
