Bayer Leverkusen have parted ways with manager Erik ten Hag just two games into the Bundesliga season, the club announced on Monday.
Ten Hag, who joined the German side this summer following his dismissal from Manchester United in October 2024, was appointed as the successor to Xabi Alonso after the Spaniard departed for Real Madrid. However, his tenure in Leverkusen has come to an abrupt end following a poor start to the campaign.
“This decision was not easy for us. Nobody wanted to take this step,” said sporting director Simon Rolfes. “But the past few weeks have shown that the steps taken to build a new and successful team have not been effective.”
Club CEO Fernando Carro echoed the sentiment, describing the move as “painful, but necessary.”
The 55-year-old Dutchman now holds the unfortunate distinction of being the earliest managerial dismissal in Bundesliga history, surpassing the previous record of a coach being sacked after five matches.
Ten Hag was appointed Leverkusen manager on July 1 and was tasked with overseeing a major rebuild following the club’s historic 2023–24 campaign, in which they went unbeaten to secure a domestic double — including their first Bundesliga title in 120 years.
However, a summer exodus of key players — including Florian Wirtz, Granit Xhaka, Jonathan Tah, Jeremie Frimpong, Amine Adli, and long-time captain Lukas Hradecky — left the squad in transition. Ten Hag was handed more than a dozen new signings, including the club’s three most expensive ever: Malik Tilmann, Jarell Quansah, and Eliesse Ben Seghir, who joined for a combined €102 million plus bonuses.
His stint began inauspiciously with a 5-1 defeat to Flamengo’s U-20 side in a pre-season friendly in Brazil. A 4-0 win over Sonnenhof Großaspach in the DFB-Pokal offered a brief reprieve, but Leverkusen managed just one point from their first two league fixtures.
They surrendered a lead to lose 2-1 at home to Hoffenheim, and on Saturday, despite leading 2-0 and later 3-1, they conceded twice late on to draw 3-3 against 10-man Werder Bremen — a result that reportedly sealed Ten Hag’s fate. Both Bild and Kicker reported on Sunday that the Dutchman was on the verge of being sacked.
The club has not yet named a permanent replacement, stating that training duties will be handled by the assistant coaching staff in the interim.
Ten Hag, who took charge at Manchester United in July 2022, won both the FA Cup and League Cup during his time at Old Trafford but was sacked midway through the 2024–25 season following a dismal run of form — just one win in eight matches, marking United’s worst start in the Premier League era.
