Erik ten Hag Sacked by Bayer Leverkusen After Just Two Bundesliga Matches

Bayer Leverkusen have parted ways with former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag after only two league games in charge, Sport360NG reports.

The Dutch coach, 55, had been appointed over the summer following his dismissal from United in October. His exit makes him the third ex-United manager to be let go this week, after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at Besiktas on Thursday and Jose Mourinho at Fenerbahce on Friday.

“Ending our cooperation at this point was not something anyone wanted,” Leverkusen managing director Simon Rolfes said on the club’s website. “But recent weeks have made it clear that building a successful team under the current setup isn’t feasible.”

Ten Hag’s departure sets a new Bundesliga record for the fastest sacking, surpassing the previous mark of five matches. Leverkusen collected just one point from their first two league fixtures, following a 2-1 home defeat to Hoffenheim and a 3-3 draw against 10-man Werder Bremen, despite holding 2-0 and 3-1 leads.

The Dutchman had signed a two-year contract in May to succeed Xabi Alonso, who left after leading the club to a league and cup double in 2023-24 and was subsequently appointed Real Madrid boss.

“A split at this early stage is painful, but we judged it necessary,” Leverkusen CEO Fernando Carro commented. “Our commitment to achieving this season’s objectives remains, and that requires optimal conditions for the entire first team.”

Ten Hag faced the challenge of integrating more than a dozen new signings while losing key players over the summer. Notable departures included Florian Wirtz to Liverpool for up to £116m, Jeremie Frimpong to Liverpool for £29.5m, Granit Xhaka to Sunderland for £13m, Jonathan Tah to Bayern Munich on a free transfer, Amine Adli to Bournemouth for up to £25.1m, and goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky to Monaco.

Meanwhile, Leverkusen invested heavily in new talent, with record signings Malik Tillman from PSV Eindhoven, Jarell Quansah from Liverpool, and Eliesse Ben Seghir from Monaco arriving this summer for a combined £88.4m (€102m) plus add-ons.

“This was not an easy decision,” Rolfes added. “We believe in our team’s quality and will now focus on progressing with a new setup.”

The club has yet to announce Ten Hag’s replacement, confirming that the assistant coaches will handle training in the interim. Carro reiterated the club’s determination to achieve its season goals: “It’s now about fully implementing and taking advantage of the conditions we’ve created across the first team.”