Former Manchester United coach Erik ten Hag on Monday was confirmed as the new manager of Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen, succeeding Xabi Alonso who left for Real Madrid. The 55-year-old who helped United win two domestic cups, was sacked in October 2024 after the club started the season with 4 defeats in 9 league matches.
“Bayer 04 are one of the best clubs in Germany and also among the top clubs in Europe. The club offers outstanding conditions, I’ve been very impressed with the discussions of the management. I’ve come to Leverkusen to continue with the ambition shown in recent years. It’s an attractive challenge to set up something together in this period of change and develop an ambitious team,” the Dutch manager said in a release issued by the German club.
He inherits a team that finished second in the Bundesliga and reached the German Cup semifinals this season. Leverkusen won both competitions under Alonso the year before and became the first unbeaten Bundesliga champion ever.
Erik ten Hag signs with Bayer 04 as our new head coach until 2027!✍️
Let’s get started! 💪⚫️🔴
— Bayer 04 Leverkusen (@bayer04_en)
“With Erik ten Hag we have brought in an experienced coach with impressive success on the pitch. His six title wins at Ajax were exceptional. With three league titles and two domestic cup wins he and Ajax dominated Dutch football from 2018 to 2022. And Erik demonstrated his quality as a coach with the ensuing success at Manchester United under difficult circumstances at times. Our ideas of football coincide. With technically demanding and dominant football, we want to carry on in the Werkself style and aim for the highest targets in the Bundesliga, DFB Pokal and Champions League,” sporting managing director Simon Rolfes said.
Ten Hag previously succeeded in bringing the good times back to Ajax, leading the biggest team in the Netherlands to three Eredivisie titles and the Champions League semifinals in entertaining style in 2019. Ajax reportedly wanted to bring Ten Hag back as Francesco Farioli’s replacement after his team’s late-season meltdown allowed PSV Eindhoven clinch the Eredivisie title.
At Leverkusen, Ten Hag will be charged with maintaining the team’s upward trajectory under Alonso, though he will likely need to do it with a much-changed side.
(With agency inputs)
