‘Complete surprise’: Former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag fired after just 3 games in charge of German club
Erik ten Hag has been fired by Bayer Leverkusen after just three games of the new season.
By Ben Church, CNN
(CNN) — Soccer is well-known for being a cut-throat industry but even Erik ten Hag couldn’t have imagined his new job would be over so soon.
The Dutch manager was sacked by German side Bayer Leverkusen on Monday after just 63 days and two league games in charge.
Although short, his time at the Bundesliga club was certainly turbulent. He butted heads with Leverkusen’s hierarchy over transfer policy and there were signs of disharmony within the team during his spell.
“The decision by Bayer Leverkusen’s management this morning to put me on a leave of absence came as a complete surprise. To part ways with a coach after just two league matches is unprecedented,” ten Hag said in a statement released by his agency, per the Associated Press.
“I started this job with full conviction and energy, but unfortunately the management was not willing to grant me the time and trust I needed, which I deeply regret. I feel this was never a relationship based on mutual trust.”
It wasn’t always going to be a tough job for ten Hag. The 55-year-old was coming off the back of a bruising stint as Manchester United manager and was tasked with rebuilding Leverkusen following the departure of former boss and club legend Xabi Alonso to Real Madrid.
Additionally, many of the club’s top stars – who helped the club win its first ever Bundesliga and second ever German Cup in the 2023-24 season – have left recently, including key players such as Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong and Granit Xhaka.
And while the first game of the season ended with a 4-0 win against a fourth-division team in the DFB-Pokal, Leverkusen picked up just one point in its two league matches.
Club captain Robert Andrich questioned his teammates’ commitment after a 3-3 draw against Werder Bremen on Saturday, while ten Hag fumed at his players for clashing on the pitch while debating who would take a penalty.
It was always going to be an uphill battle, but few thought it would be over so soon.
“This decision was not an easy one for us,” Simon Rolfes, Leverkusen’s managing director, said in a statement.
“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.”
Bundesliga record
According to Opta, ten Hag is the first manager in Bundesliga history to lose his job after two league games having taken over in the summer.
It’s a decision that will pile huge pressure on the team to respond and the club is yet to announce who will take over the managerial role.
“A parting of ways at this early stage of the season is painful, but we felt it was necessary,” Leverkseun CEO Fernando Carro said in a statement.
“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.”
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2025 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
