Erik ten Hag Facing Possible Dismissal at Bayer Leverkusen After Poor Start

Erik ten Hag is reportedly on the verge of being dismissed by Bayer Leverkusen after just two league matches into his tenure. The former Manchester United manager has encountered a difficult beginning in Germany, earning only a single point from his first two games.

In his debut, Leverkusen was defeated 2-1 at home to Hoffenheim despite an early goal from Jarell Quansah. Their second game saw them squander a 3-1 advantage against Werder Bremen, ending in a 3-3 draw, leaving the team near the lower end of the Bundesliga standings.

According to reports, club officials are considering sacking him, with no public statement from the club supporting his position. This would be a significant upheaval, especially following the successful spell of Xabi Alonso, who led Leverkusen to an unbeaten domestic double and the Europa League final in 2023-24.

Ten Hag’s tenure in Germany has been rocky, beginning with a heavy 5-1 pre-season loss to Flamengo’s youth team, though he managed to rally with three wins in four matches before a victory in the DFB-Pokal.

He took over at Leverkusen in May after a seven-month break, having been sacked by Manchester United in October of the previous year, when his team sat 14th in the Premier League with just four wins from 14 matches. His departure followed|United’s decision despite having extended his contract earlier, based on his previous successes, including winning the FA Cup and Carabao Cup.

Prior to his managerial roles, Ten Hag gained recognition coaching Bayern Munich’s second team and led Ajax to three Dutch titles and a semi-final appearance in the 2019 Champions League.

His impressive record at Manchester United includes a 54.69% win rate across 128 games, ranking third in the club’s history for managerial success with more than 100 matches.