Bayer Leverkusen have dismissed Erik Ten Hag as manager after only two Bundesliga games in charge, the club announced on Monday.
Ten Hag, who was fired by Manchester United last October, took over at Leverkusen following the departure of Xabi Alonso to Real Madrid. However, his reign has ended abruptly after a disappointing start.
“This decision was not easy for us. Nobody wanted to take this step,” sporting director Simon Rolfes said. “The past few weeks have shown that the steps to build a new and successful team have not been effective.”
Club CEO Fernando Carro described the decision as “painful, but necessary.”
The sacking makes Ten Hag the earliest coach to be fired in Bundesliga history, breaking the previous record of five matches.
During his time at Manchester United, Ten Hag won both the FA Cup and League Cup but was dismissed midway through the 2024-25 season after just one win in eight games, the club’s worst Premier League start.
At Leverkusen, the Dutchman inherited a difficult job following the club’s unbeaten league and cup double in 2023-24, which included their first Bundesliga title in 120 years. However, the team lost several key players in the summer, including Florian Wirtz, Granit Xhaka, Jonathan Tah, Jeremie Frimpong, Amine Adli and Lukas Hradecky.
Despite signing more than a dozen new players, including record arrivals Malik Tilmann, Jarell Quansah and Eliesse Ben Seghir for a combined €102 million ($120 million) plus bonuses, results were disappointing.
Ten Hag’s first game was a 5-1 defeat to Flamengo’s under-20s in a preseason friendly. After a 4-0 German Cup win over Sonnenhof Grossaspach, Leverkusen managed just one point from their opening two league fixtures, a 2-1 home defeat to Hoffenheim and a 3-3 draw with Werder Bremen, where they squandered a 3-1 lead against 10 men.
On Sunday, German outlets Bild and Kicker reported that Ten Hag was facing the sack. By Monday, the club confirmed his departure, with assistant coaches set to take over training until a new manager is named.
What you should know
Erik Ten Hag, once seen as a tactical innovator after his Ajax success, has now endured two rapid and high-profile dismissals within a year.
His sacking at Leverkusen underscores the high expectations placed on managers, especially at clubs coming off historic success like Leverkusen’s unbeaten double last season.
