Bayer Leverkusen have parted ways with Erik ten Hag after just two Bundesliga matches in charge, the club confirmed on Monday.
The Dutchman, who signed a contract until 2027 in May after being dismissed by Manchester United last October, replaced Xabi Alonso following the Spaniard’s move to Real Madrid.
However, Ten Hag struggled to steady the reigning champions after the sale of several key players from the squad that won a historic unbeaten double last season.
“This decision was not easy for us. Nobody wanted to take this step,” sporting director Simon Rolfes said. “The past few weeks have shown that the steps to build a new and successful team have not been effective.”
CEO Fernando Carro described the decision as “painful, but necessary.”
The 55-year-old now holds the unwanted record of the fastest Bundesliga dismissal — sacked after just two games, breaking the previous mark of five.
Ten Hag’s short tenure began inauspiciously with a 5-1 friendly defeat against Flamengo’s under-20s in Brazil. After a 4-0 win in the German Cup over Sonnenhof Grossaspach, Leverkusen picked up just one point in their first two league fixtures — a 2-1 home loss to Hoffenheim and a 3-3 draw at Werder Bremen, where they conceded twice late on against 10 men.
German outlets Bild and Kicker reported on Sunday that Ten Hag had “lost credit internally” with no real bond between him and the players. Kicker also cited issues with his “communication, match preparation, and tactical approach”, calling it a “culture shock”.
Leverkusen have undergone a major squad overhaul this summer, selling stars including Florian Wirtz, Granit Xhaka, Jonathan Tah, Jeremie Frimpong, Amine Adli, and Lukas Hradecky. The club spent big on reinforcements, signing Malik Tilmann, Jarell Quansah, and Eliesse Ben Seghir for over €100 million combined, alongside other younger additions.
Reports suggested Ten Hag was not involved in the club’s move for former Real Madrid defender Lucas Vázquez, who joined last week.
The club has not yet named a permanent replacement, with assistant coaches set to lead training in the interim.
Ten Hag is the third ex-Manchester United manager to lose his job this week, following Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at Besiktas and José Mourinho at Fenerbahçe.
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