In the aftermath of his surprising exit, a list of five reasons behind Erik ten Hag's abrupt dismissal from Bayer Leverkusen has surfaced. Ten Hag, 55, had a brief stint at the German club, lasting only three games before being shown the door. The former Manchester United manager was brought in to fill the void left by Xabi Alonso, who departed for Real Madrid.
Appointed on May 26 and sacked before the transfer window even closed, Ten Hag's reign lasted a mere 98 days. Despite earning £86,000 per day due to his £5.2 million salary and severance package, Ten Hag faced an uphill battle at the Bay Arena.
Alonso's tenure was a resounding success, clinching the Bundesliga title in 2024 and ending Bayern Munich's dominance, all while remaining unbeaten domestically. Leverkusen finished second last season, suffering only three league defeats.
However, Alonso wasn't the only significant departure. In a summer of sweeping changes, Leverkusen lost key player Florian Wirtz, influential wing-back Jeremie Frimpong, seasoned professional Granit Xhaka, defensive stalwart Jonathan Tah, and captain-goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky.
Despite the challenging circumstances and widespread hope for Ten Hag's success, he has been labelled as the worst manager in the club's history. A report has now unveiled the five reasons behind his premature departure.
Firstly, German publication Bild reports that Erik ten Hag struggled to build relationships with his players and staff at Bayer Leverkusen, including those who joined the club alongside him in July. After a turbulent pre-season, marked by a humiliating 5-0 defeat to Flamengo's under-21s, the Dutch manager allegedly declined to deliver an inspiring speech before Leverkusen's first league match against Hoffenheim, which they lost 2-1.
Secondly, Ten Hag was accused of meddling with Leverkusen's transfer strategies, seemingly favouring players represented by his own agency, SEG. The 55-year-old, who shares representation with Rasmus Hojlund, is said to have been instrumental in the high-profile transfers of Andre Onana and Antony to Manchester United.
Adding to the transfer turmoil, it's reported that Ten Hag was kept in the dark about Lucas Vazquez's signing from Real Madrid until after the Spanish wing-back had inked his contract. Despite Leverkusen agreeing to let Swiss midfielder Xhaka move to Sunderland, the former Ajax boss insisted that such a transfer wouldn't happen - although it eventually did.
Lastly, Ten Hag's training methods were reportedly uninspiring. He purportedly placed as much emphasis on doing press-ups as he did on ball work, and his sessions were described as 'unusually long'.
The atmosphere at the club has reportedly turned frosty since Erik ten Hag took over, leading to a sense of disconnection that even affected nutritionists and physios. The Dutchman's tenure was marred by poor results, starting with a 4-0 victory against a fourth-tier team in the DFB Pokal, followed by a failure to secure wins in their opening Bundesliga matches.
Leverkusen's campaign kicked off with a 2-1 defeat at home to Hoffenheim and was further blemished by a 3-3 draw against Werder Bremen, despite having a two-goal lead against 10 men. The embarrassing outcome led to Ten Hag's swift sacking within 48 hours, after which he released a statement slamming the club's leadership for not allowing him time or space to realise his plans, labelling his firing as 'unprecedented'.
He also remarked: "This was never a relationship based on mutual trust."
As Leverkusen searches for a new manager, names like Xavi Hernandez, Ange Postecoglou, and Edin Terzic have surfaced as potential candidates.