Bayer Leverkusen, Bundesliga champion (German Championship) in 2024 and runner-up in 2025, announced on Monday the resignation of Dutch coach Erik Ten Hag after the dispute of only two rounds of Nacional.
Erik Ten Hag was hired in late May to succeed Spanish Xabi Alonso, who signed with Real Madrid after spending nearly three seasons at Leverkusen with which he ended in 2024 with a series of 11 consecutive Bayern Munich titles.
“This decision was not easy for us. No one wanted to take this step,” said Bayer sports director Simon Rolfes.
Ten Hag, 55, fired by Manchester United in October last year, leaves the club with a balance of a home defeat against Hoffenheim, 2-1, and a draw against Werder Bremen 3-3 after the team commands the score 2-0 and 3 to 2.
In the German Cup, Bayer qualified for the round of 16 by golling 4-0 the modest Grossaspach of the German fourth division.
“A separation anytime soon in the season is painful, but it was necessary from our point of view. Our ambition is still meeting the objectives established for the season, and this requires the best possible conditions at all levels,” said Spanish Fernando Car, president of Leverkusen.
The club’s cast was considerably weakened with the exits of Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong (Liverpool), Granit Xhaka (Sunderland), Lukas Hradecky (Monaco), Jonathan Tah (Bayern Munich) and Amine Adli (Bournemouth).
Leverkusen leaders should now seek a successor to Erik Ten Hag. Bayer Leverkusen’s next game will be against Eintracht Frankfurt on September 12.
