Photo by Christof Koepsel/Getty Images
Photo by Christof Koepsel/Getty Images
Erik ten Hag oversaw an embarrassing start to the Bundesliga season and has been sent on his marching orders at Bayer Leverkusen.
After being sacked by Manchester United last October, Erik ten Hag returned to work in football this summer, taking charge of Bayer Leverkusen.
Leverkusen were trying to ensure there would be a steady transition after losing Xavi Alonso as manager to Real Madrid. It was never going to be easy for the German club after winning the Bundesliga in 2024 and losing several key players over the summer.
Ten Hag’s successor at Old Trafford, Ruben Amorim, is also experiencing a difficult time at his new club, after finishing 15th in the Premier League last season. The Red Devils recorded their first win of the new campaign against Burnley on Saturday, following a draw and two defeats.
Things have been even worse for Ten Hag, given he’s already on the lookout for a new job.
Erik ten Hag watching his Bayer Leverkusen side take on SV Werder Bremen
Photo by Christof Koepsel/Getty Images
Bayer Leverkusen sack Erik ten Hag
Ten Hag has been sacked by Bayer Leverkusen after just three matches in charge.
After accepting the job in May, Ten Hag was dismissed on Monday following Leverkusen’s 3-3 draw with Werder Bremen on Saturday.
Leverkusen also suffered a 2-1 defeat to Hoffenheim on the opening weekend of the season.
However, Ten Hag did manage one win as Leverkusen manager, beating SG 4-0 in the DFK-Pokal.
Leverkusen’s chief executive, Fernando Carro, issued a statement on Ten Hag’s dismissal via Leverkusen’s official website, saying: “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. Now it’s a matter of fully implementing and utilising these conditions again.”
Leverkusen’s managing director, Simon Rolfes said: “This decision was not an easy one for us. Nobody wanted to take this step. However, the past few weeks have shown that building a new and successful team with this setup is not feasible. 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.”
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Jose Mourinho suffer the same fate
Ten Hag isn’t the only former United manager to be sacked within the last week.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer saw his time at Besiktas come to an end before Jose Mourinho was dismissed at Fenerbahce.
This won’t be something Amorim will need to worry about if United can start gaining momentum and winning more football matches.