Erik ten Hag: Former Manchester United boss sacked as Bayer Leverkusen head coach after three games in charge
Updated 01/09/2025 at 11:27 GMT+1
Erik ten Hag's time at Bayer Leverkusen has come to a swift end. Appointed as Xabi Alonso's replacement earlier this summer, Ten Hag has lasted just three games in charge. He won his opening match in the DFB-Pokal, but Leverkusen then lost their first Bundesliga game to Hoffenheim before most recently drawing 3-3 with 10-man Werder Bremen despite being 3-1 ahead at one stage.
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Erik ten Hag has been sensationally sacked as Bayer Leverkusen head coach after three games in charge.
The former Manchester United boss was appointed as Xabi Alonso’s replacement ahead of the 2025/26 season.
Leverkusen won their first match of the season in the DFB-Pokal but then lost their Bundesliga opener at home against Hoffenheim.
They then blew a 3-1 lead to draw 3-3 against 10-man Werder Bremen on Saturday.
"This decision was not an easy one for us. Nobody wanted to take this step," said Leverkusen managing director Simon Rolfes.
"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."
Leverkusen have undergone major upheaval over the summer, not only losing head coach Alonso but also several key players.
Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong both left to join Liverpool, while Granit Xhaka moved to Sunderland and Jonathan Tah signed for Bayern Munich.
Captain Robert Andrich was critical of the team following their draw with Werder Bremen, who scored a 94th-minute equaliser courtesy of Abdoul Coulibaly.
"Everyone played for themselves, everyone ran around the pitch on their own," he said.
"We have too many players who are preoccupied with other things or only with themselves. I don’t know if I’ve ever experienced that at Bayer.
"The disastrous final phase [against Werder Bremen] was a symbol of our current situation. This has nothing to do with any unrest, player transfers, or legal proceedings."
Ten Hag was sacked by Manchester United in October 2024 after two-and-a-half years in charge.
He signed a deal until 2027 when he joined Leverkusen earlier in the summer, but said after the weekend's draw that some of his "players aren’t at all fit enough to play".
"We have a new team and some of the players aren’t at all fit enough to play. The team didn’t function at all during the final stage of the game. That’s just the way it is. They need to bring more intensity and get fitter in order to meet my standards.
"After the international break, we face real competition and must perform as a team. That begins with taking responsibility and delivering individual performances. And they have to demonstrate to me that they want to work together."
Leverkusen play Eintracht Frankfurt after the international break.
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