Bayer Leverkusen have parted ways with head coach Erik ten Hag after only two league fixtures in charge, the club confirmed on Monday.
Ten Hag, who was dismissed by Manchester United in October 2024, had been appointed as Xabi Alonso’s successor following Alonso’s high-profile move to Real Madrid. The Dutchman’s tenure has ended abruptly, marking one of the shortest managerial stints in Bundesliga history.
“Making this decision was extremely difficult. Nobody at the club wanted to take this step,” said sporting director Simon Rolfes. “However, the past weeks have shown that the measures taken to build a new and competitive team were not working as intended.”
Chief executive Fernando Carro echoed the sentiment, describing the decision as “painful, but necessary.”
The 55-year-old departs with the unwanted distinction of being the earliest dismissal of a head coach in a Bundesliga season, surpassing the previous record of five matches.
Ten Hag’s appointment on July 1 came with considerable challenges. He inherited a squad undergoing significant transition after Leverkusen’s historic 2023-24 campaign, in which Alonso led the club to its first Bundesliga title and a domestic double while remaining unbeaten. However, the summer saw an exodus of key players, including Florian Wirtz, Granit Xhaka, Jonathan Tah, Jeremie Frimpong, Amine Adli and long-serving goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky.
To offset the departures, Leverkusen invested heavily in new talent, with more than a dozen signings brought in. Among them were Malik Tillman, Jarell Quansah and Eliesse Ben Seghir – the three most expensive acquisitions in the club’s history – costing a combined €102 million plus bonuses. Ten Hag was expected to integrate these arrivals quickly while maintaining competitiveness.
The early results, however, were unconvincing. Leverkusen began the campaign with a 5-1 defeat in a pre-season friendly against Flamengo’s under-20s, followed by a comfortable 4-0 victory in the German Cup against fourth-tier Sonnenhof Großaspach. But in the Bundesliga, they collected only one point from their opening two matches.
A 2-1 home defeat to Hoffenheim, in which they squandered a lead, was compounded by a chaotic 3-3 draw with Werder Bremen, where Leverkusen twice surrendered two-goal advantages against a side reduced to 10 men. German media outlets Bild and Kicker reported on Sunday that Ten Hag’s position was already under serious review, and the club acted swiftly the following day.
For now, assistant coaches will oversee first-team training while Leverkusen evaluate long-term options for the managerial role.
Ten Hag leaves Leverkusen just as he did Manchester United — following a period of early promise undermined by poor results. His time at Old Trafford yielded an FA Cup and League Cup, but he was dismissed after a torrid start to the 2024-25 campaign, with United managing only one win in eight matches.
Leverkusen now face the challenge of stabilising a squad in flux, while ensuring the momentum built under Alonso is not permanently lost.
