Erik ten Hag ‘surprised’ to sacked by Leverkusen after three games

Erik ten Hag has said he was “surprised” to be sacked as Bayer Leverkusen manager after just three games in charge, adding that he never felt “mutual trust” from the club’s board.

Ten Hag replaced Xabi Alonso as head coach in May and signed a two-year-contract. But Ten Hag’s stay at Leverkusen has been brief after a poor start to the 2025-26 season.

Leverkusen won their DFB-Pokal first-round tie against fourth-tier SG Sonnenhof, but since that match on Aug. 15, the tenure of the former Manchester United manager tenure had turned sour. They lost their season opener against TSG Hoffenheim at home and then drew 3-3 with Werder Bremen on Saturday.

The decision was made by the shareholders’ committee at the club and on the recommendation of Bayer’s management.

Ten Hag expressed his dismay at what he called an “unprecedented” decision.

“The decision by Bayer Leverkusen’s management this morning to put me on a leave of absence came as a complete surprise,” Ten Hag said in a statement via his management agency, SEG Football.

“To part ways with a coach after just two league matches is unprecedented.

“This summer, many key players who were part of past successes left the squad. Building a new, cohesive team is a careful process that requires both time and trust. A new coach deserves the space to implement his vision, set the standards, shape the squad and leave his mark on the style of play.

“I started this job with full conviction and energy, but unfortunately the management was not willing to grant me the time and trust I needed, which I deeply regret. I feel this was never a relationship based on mutual trust.

“Throughout my career, every season I have been able to see through to the end as a coach has brought success. Clubs that placed their trust in me have been rewarded with success and silverware.

“Finally, I would like to thank the Bayer Leverkusen supporters for their warmth and passion, and I wish the squad and staff every success for the remainder of the season.

It has been a summer of upheaval at Leverkusen, with several of the stars who led them to the 2024 Bundesliga title leaving the club.

Ten Hag took charge as Jeremie Frimpong, Florian Wirtz, Amine Adli, Odilon Kossounou, Granit Xhaka, Lukas Hradecky and Jonathan Tah all left the club.

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In response, Leverkusen spent in the region of €170 million ($199.31m) to rebuild the squad with Malik Tillman, Jarell Quansah, Eliesse Ben Seghir, Loïc Badé, Ibrahim Maza, Mark Flekken and Ernest Poku all arriving.

“This decision was not an easy one for us. Nobody wanted to take this step,” Leverkusen managing director for sport Simon Rolfes said. “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.”

Ten Hag, who managed Man United from 2022 to 2024, replaced Alonso, who led the team to the 2024 title and a runner-up finish last season. Alonso joined Real Madrid in the summer.

But while Alonso played attacking football, Ten Hag’s conservative style did not marry with the players. A source told ESPN that Leverkusen were keen to make this change sooner rather than later.

Things were clearly in a dismal state after the clash with Werder Bremen.

They surrendered a two-goal lead, and afterward, captain Robert Andrich was clearly frustrated.

“Everyone played for themselves, everyone ran around the pitch on their own. 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,” he said.

“The disastrous final phase [of the draw] was a symbol of our current situation. This has nothing to do with any unrest, player transfers or legal proceedings.”

Bayer CEO Fernando Carro added: “A parting of ways at this early stage of the season is painful, but we felt it was necessary. We remain committed to achieving our goals for the season — and to do that, we need the best possible conditions at all levels and across the entire first team. Now it’s a matter of fully implementing and utilising these conditions again.”