This article covers a developing story. Continue to check back with us as we will be adding more information as it becomes available.
Amid the chaos of the end of the summer transfer window, manager Erik ten Hag has been sacked by Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen after a tricky start to the campaign saw the Dutchman win neither of his first two domestic games in charge of 12th-placed Die Werkself.
Formerly of Manchester United between 2022 and 2024, Haaksbergen-born Ten Hag was chosen – after stepping away from management for a seven months – by Leverkusen chiefs to replace Xabi Alonso, who moved to European juggernauts Real Madrid in the summer.
Competitively at least, his first game in the hotseat in Germany resulted in a 4-0 win over Sonnenhof Grobaspach in the first round of the DFB Pokal – but the 55-year-old's winless stewardship in the Bundesliga means that retaining his job was off the cards, and he’s now been sacked.
Ten Hag Sacked by Bayer Leverkusen After Two-Game Winless Streak in 2025/26 Bundesliga Season
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On Sunday, it was reported by Kicker – a well-known publication in Germany – that Ten Hag was walking on thin ice heading into the international break. His first match in the BayArena dugout saw him lose 2-1 to Hoffenheim on 23 August and that was followed up with a 3-3 draw against Werder Bremen.
And the six-goal thriller, which Leverkusen were leading until Bremen's 94th-minute equaliser, was the straw that broke the camel's back. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Fabrizio Romano that Leverkusen boardroom bosses made the decision this morning and Ten Hag has been informed accordingly.
“EXCLUSIVE: Erik ten Hag has just been SACKED by Bayer Leverkusen. Decision made by the club’s hierarchy this morning and manager informed right now.”
At Old Trafford, Ten Hag replaced interim boss Ralf Rangnick in May 2022 – and, interestingly, he won two trophies in back-to-back seasons. A 2-1 loss to West Ham in 2024 saw club chiefs part ways with the Dutchman, who made a name for himself in his homeland managing Ajax.
Following in the footsteps of Alonso was always going to be difficult after the Spaniard immortalised his name in the club's mythology thanks to guiding them to an unbeaten Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal double in the 2023/24 season.
Ten Hag, after drawing 3-3 to Bremen on Saturday 30 August, believed that his team – who have welcomed the additions of Jarell Quansah and Malik Tillman from Liverpool and PSV Eindhoven, respectively – were not physically ready for the new season. Per The Sun, he said
"The players aren't ready. We have a new team and some of the players aren't at all fit enough to play. The team didn't function at all during the final stage of the game. That's just the way it is. They need to bring more intensity and get fitter in order to meet my standards.”
More to follow...